Lowther imputed to gratified vanity at his attentions
and he continued complacently by her side, till Mrs. Barrington said,--"I
think, Miss Leigh, the children should go to bed," and Bluebell
understood she was expected to accompany them.

It was very mortifying. Apparently she had been too much at her ease, and
perhaps the _empressement_ with which Sir Robert had rushed to open the
door might exclude her from coming down for the future. Then she
reflected, with a little pardonable spite, that, if things turned out
according to her hopes, Mrs. Barrington might, perhaps, repent having
marched her off with the children like a nursery-maid.

The following morning, at the same hour, Bluebell circulated the spring
woods with her pupils, and, had he been a young lover approaching, her
heart could not have beat higher than on again perceiving the bent form
of Lord Bromley.

Would he pass them with a courteous lifting of the hat to her? Of course;
what else would he do? Her fervent aspiration had apparently a magnetic
effect; or was it her face that was so tell-tale a mirror? Lord Bromley
stopped, spoke a few words, and actually turned back with them!

Bluebell was in the seventh heaven. She had not yet learnt how little
even personal liking weighs against ambition when the object of it is
unsupported by the merit of being well placed in the world. If
well-tochered Lady Geraldine, pale and plain, had married the heir, every
door in Bromley Towers would have been hospitably thrown open to her
while the loveliest Peri, whose face was her fortune, might have stood
knocking at the portal-gate unnoticed.

"Yet everything will go right if he only likes me!" To be liked, to be
loved, that comprises all else with a girl. This one was not quite a
fool, only had not outlived her youthful illusions.

An ardent desire to attain anything goes far towards success. Fearful of
being thought forward, yet longing to please, she seemed to awaken an
interest in Lord Bromley; though he talked playfully to all three, his
indulgent smile was for Bluebell. Another expression appeared sometimes
on his face, the same that had perplexed her the previous evening--an
investigating, speculating glance: and once, when becoming more at ease,
her features resumed their play, his were suddenly contorted, as if a
sharp pang had seized him.

The walk seemed all too short, for Lord Bromley did not take the second,
but retraced his steps to the house. Bluebe