ose in her hat--a rose just peeping through
its lattice at mankind, before it should open and blush at them--and she
knew what it was that he admired more than the sweetest rose that
ever gemmed itself with dew. Lord Dashville had loved her, as she was
frightened to remember, for more than a year, because he could not help
it, being a young man of great common-sense, as well as fine taste, and
some knowledge of the world. "He knows to which side his bread will be
buttered," Mr. Swipes had remarked, as a keen observer. "If 'a can only
get Miss Faith, his bread 'll be buttered to both sides for life--his
self to one side, and her to do the tother. The same as I told Mother
Cloam--a man that knoweth his duty to head gardeners, as his noble
lordship doth, the same know the differ atwixt Miss Faith--as fine a
young 'ooman as ever looked into a pink--and that blow-away froth of a
thing, Miss Dolly."

This fine young woman, to use the words of Mr. Swipes, coloured softly,
at his noble lordship's gaze, to the tint of the rose-bud in her hat;
and then spoke coldly to countervail her blush.

"There is evidently something to be done directly. All the people are
moving towards the middle of the down. We must not be so selfish as to
keep you here, Lord Dashville."

"Why, don't you see what it is?" exclaimed Miss Dolly, hotly resenting
the part of second fiddle; "they are going to have the grand march-past.
These affairs always conclude with that. And we are in the worst part of
the whole down for seeing it. Lord Dashville will tell us where we ought
to go."

"You had better not attempt to move now," he answered, smiling as he
always smiled at Dolly, as if she were a charming but impatient child;
"you might cause some confusion, and perhaps see nothing. And now I
must discharge my commission, which I am quite ashamed of having left
so long. His Majesty hopes, when the march-past is over, to receive a
march-up of fair ladies. He has a most wonderful memory, as you know,
and his nature is the kindest of the kind. As soon as he heard that Lady
Scudamore was here, and Admiral Darling's daughters with her, he said:
'Bring them all to me, every one of them; young Scudamore has done good
work, good work. And I want to congratulate his mother about him. And
Darling's daughters, I must see them. Why, we owe the security of the
coast to him.' And so, if you please, ladies, be quite ready, and allow
me the honour of conducting you."

With