y.

"Of course she has told you," said Felix.

"Oh yes, she has told me. We don't have many secrets in this house.
And I'm sure I congratulate you with all my heart; and I think you
have got the very best girl in all the world. Of course I'm her
mother; but I declare, if I was to talk of her for a week, I could
not say anything of her but good."

"I know how fortunate I am."

"Yes, you are fortunate. For there is nothing in the world equal to
a loving wife who will do her duty. And I'm sure you'll be good to
her."

"I will endeavour to be so."

"A man must be very bad indeed who would be bad to her,--and I
don't think that of you. And it's a great thing, Mr. Graham, that
Madeline should have loved a man of whom her papa is so fond. I
don't know what you have done to the judge, I'm sure." This she said,
remembering in the innocence of her heart that Mr. Arbuthnot had been
a son-in-law rather after her own choice, and that the judge always
declared that his eldest daughter's husband had seldom much to say
for himself.

"And I hope that Madeline's mother will receive me as kindly as
Madeline's father," said he, taking Lady Staveley's hand and pressing
it.

"Indeed I will. I will love you very dearly if you will let me. My
girls' husbands are the same to me as sons." Then she put up her face
and he kissed it, and so they wished each other good night.

He found Augustus in his own room, and they two had hardly sat
themselves down over the fire, intending to recall the former scenes
which had taken place in that very room, when a knock was heard at
the door, and Mrs. Baker entered.

"And so it's all settled, Mr. Felix," said she.

"Yes," said he; "all settled."

"Well now! didn't I know it from the first?"

"Then what a wicked old woman you were not to tell," said Augustus.

"That's all very well, Master Augustus. How would you like me to tell
of you;--for I could, you know?"

"You wicked old woman, you couldn't do anything of the kind."

"Oh, couldn't I? But I defy all the world to say a word of Miss
Madeline but what's good,--only I did know all along which way the
wind was blowing. Lord love you, Mr. Graham, when you came in here
all of a smash like, I knew it wasn't for nothing."

"You think he did it on purpose then," said Staveley.

"Did it on purpose? What; make up to Miss Madeline? Why, of course he
did it on purpose. He's been a-thinking of it ever since Christmas
night, when I saw you, Maste