ing wife for him. And
yet the attraction of _character_ was very great. He wanted a wife who
would be above all things able to help him in his work--work of reform
and of philanthropy: a selfish, luxurious, indolent woman could be no
mate for him. Janetta Colwyn was the woman that he had been seeking
since first he thought of marriage; and yet--ah, there was nothing wrong
with her except that she was not Margaret. But of Margaret he must think
no more.

Lady Ashley would have been very much astonished if she had known how
far her idolized son had gone that night along the road of a resolution
to ask Janetta Colwyn to be his wife.

CHAPTER XIX.

NORA'S PROCEEDINGS.

Janetta scarcely expected to hear from Lady Ashley again, and was not
surprised that days and weeks passed on in silence as regarded her
engagement to sing at the evening party. She did not reflect that
Christmas brought its own special duties and festivities, and that she
was not likely to be wanted until these were over. In the meantime, the
holidays began, and she had to prepare as best she could, though with a
heavy heart, for the homecoming of her brothers and sisters. There was
very little to "keep Christmas" upon; and she could not but be grateful
when her scanty store was enlarged by gifts from the Adairs, and also
(to her great astonishment) from Sir Philip Ashley and from Wyvis Brand.

"Game, of course!" said Nora, whom she told of these windfalls on the
first night of the sisters' arrival from their school. "Well, I'm not
sorry: we don't often have grouse and woodcock at the luxurious table
of Miss Peacock & Co.; but from three people at once! it will surely be
monotonous."

"Don't be ridiculous, Nora. Lady Caroline has sent me a turkey, and the
Brands have presented us with fowls and a side of home-cured bacon--very
acceptable too, I can tell you! It is only Sir Philip who has sent
game."

"Ah, he is the fine gentleman of them all," said Nora, whose spirits
were high in spite of the depression that occasionally overcast the
whole family when they remembered that this Christmas would be spent
without their father's loving presence in their home. "The others are
commonplace! Have they been here lately?"

"Wyvis Brand called when I was out, and did not come in. Mrs. Brand has
been."

"Not the other one--Cuthbert?" said Nora, with great carelessness.

"No. I think he has been in Paris."

"And haven't you been there at all?"

"