tly, who was cherishing
the hope that some magnificent literary success had come at last to
her favourite brother.

'Manners,' explained Mark, laconically.

'Nonsense,' said Trixie, 'you don't treat us with such ceremony as all
that.'

'Not lately,' said Mark; 'that's how it is--it's bad for a family to
get lax in these little matters of mutual courtesy. I'm going to see
if I can't raise your tone--this is the beginning.'

'I'm sure we're very much obliged to you,' from Martha; 'I'm quite
satisfied with my own tone, it's quite high enough for me, thank you.'

'Yes, I forgot,' said Mark, 'I've heard it very high indeed sometimes.
I wronged you, Martha. Still, you know, we might (all except _you_,
Martha) be more polite to one another without causing ourselves any
internal injury, mightn't we?'

'Well, Mark,' said Trixie, 'all you have to do is to ask our leave to
open the letter, if you're really so particular.'

'Is that in the Etiquette Book?' inquired Mark.

'Don't be ridiculous--why _don't_ you ask our leave?'

'I suppose because I want to eat my breakfast--nothing is so
prejudicial, my love, to the furtherance of the digestive process as
the habit of reading at meals, any medical man will tell you that.'

'Perhaps,' suggested Martha, 'Mark has excellent reasons for
preferring to read his letter alone.'

'Do you know, Martha,' said Mark, 'I really think there's something in
that?'

'So do I,' said Martha, 'more than you would care for us to know,
evidently; but don't be afraid, Mark, whether it's a bill, or a
love-letter, or another publisher's rejection; we don't want to know
your secrets--do we, Cuthbert?'

'Very amiable of you to say so,' said Mark. 'Then I shan't annoy you
if I keep my letter to myself, shall I? Because I rather thought of
doing it.'

'Eh? doing what? What is Mark saying about a letter?' broke in Mr.
Ashburn. He had a way of striking suddenly like this into
conversations.

'Somebody has written me a letter, father,' said Mark; 'I was telling
Martha I thought I should read it--presently.'

But even when he was alone he felt in no hurry to possess himself of
the contents. 'I expect it's the usual thing,' he thought. 'Poor
Vincent is out of all that now. Let's see how they let him down!' and
he read:--

'DEAR SIR,--We have read the romance entitled "Glamour"
which you have done us the honour to forward some time
since. It is a work which appears to us to possess