is ill-arranged. Do not let me disturb so important an occupation as
your toilette; dress yourself, my love, and join us."

Lucy turned, with a suppressed sigh, to the glass. The uncle lingered
for a few moments, surveying her with mingled pride and doubt; he then
slowly left the chamber.

Lucy soon afterwards descended to the drawing-room, and beheld with a
little surprise (for she had not had sufficient curiosity to inquire
the name of the guest), the slender form and comely features of Lord
Mauleverer. The earl approached with the same grace which had in his
earlier youth rendered him almost irresistible, but which now, from the
contrast of years with manner, contained a slight mixture of the comic.
He paid his compliments, and in paying them declared that he must leave
it to his friend, Sir William, to explain all the danger he had dared,
for the sake of satisfying himself that Miss Brandon was no less lovely
than when he had last beheld her.

"Yes, indeed," said Brandon, with a scarcely perceptible sneer, "Lord
Mauleverer has literally endured the moving accidents of flood and
field,--for he was nearly exterminated by a highwayman, and all but
drowned in a ditch!"

"Commend me to a friend for setting one off to the best advantage,"
said Mauleverer, gayly. "Instead of attracting your sympathy, you see,
Brandon would expose me to your ridicule; judge for yourself whether I
deserve it!" and Mauleverer proceeded to give, with all the animation
which belonged to his character, the particulars of that adventure with
which the reader is so well acquainted. He did not, we may be sure,
feel any scruple in representing himself and his prowess in the most
favourable colours.

The story was scarcely ended when dinner was announced. During that meal
Mauleverer exerted himself to be amiable with infinite address. Suiting
his conversation, more than he had hitherto deigned to do, to the temper
of Lucy, and more anxious to soften than to dazzle, he certainly never
before appeared to her so attractive. We are bound to add that the point
of attraction did not reach beyond the confession that he was a very
agreeable old man.

Perhaps, if there had not been a certain half-melancholy vein in
his conversation, possibly less uncongenial to his lordship from the
remembrance of his lost diamonds, and the impression that Sir William
Brandon's cook was considerably worse than his own, he might not have
been so successful in pleasing L