exterity
of any such rival. In any attempt that he might make on a woman's
heart he would regard his own chance as good against that of any
other possible he. Augustus Staveley was master here at Noningsby,
and was a clever, dashing, handsome, fashionable young fellow; but
Lucius Mason never dreamed of retreating before such forces as those.
He had words with which to speak as fair as those of any man, and
flattered himself that he as well knew how to use them.

It was pretty to see with what admirable tact and judicious
management of her smiles Sophia received the homage of the two young
men, answering the compliments of both with ease, and so conducting
herself that neither could fairly accuse her of undue favour to the
other. But unfairly, in his own mind, Augustus did so accuse her.
And why should he have been so venomous, seeing that he entertained
no regard for the lady himself? His object was still plain
enough,--that, namely, of making a match between his needy friend and
the heiress.

His needy friend in the mean time played on through the long evening
in thoughtless happiness; and Peregrine Orme, looking at the game
from a distance, saw that rap given to the favoured knuckles with a
bitterness of heart and an inner groaning of the spirit that will not
be incomprehensible to many.

"I do so love that Mr. Felix!" said Marian, as her aunt Madeline
kissed her in her little bed on wishing her good night. "Don't you,
aunt Mad--?"

And so it was that Christmas-day was passed at Noningsby.

CHAPTER XXIII

CHRISTMAS AT GROBY PARK

Christmas-day was always a time of very great trial to Mrs. Mason of
Groby Park. It behoved her, as the wife of an old English country
gentleman, to spread her board plenteously at that season, and in
some sort to make an open house of it. But she could not bring
herself to spread any board with plenty, and the idea of an open
house would almost break her heart. Unlimited eating! There was
something in the very sounds of such words which was appalling to the
inner woman.

And on this Christmas-day she was doomed to go through an ordeal of
very peculiar severity. It so happened that the cure of souls in the
parish of Groby had been intrusted for the last two or three years to
a young, energetic, but not very opulent curate. Why the rector of
Groby should be altogether absent, leaving the work in the hands
of a curate, whom he paid by the lease of a cottage and garden and
f