ed that he was; and a feeling of indefinable pleasure and
self-complacency came over him as he thought over this proposal, and
imaged Laura to himself, as his memory remembered her for years past,
always fair and open, kindly and pious, cheerful, tender and true. He
looked at her with brightening eyes as she came in from the garden at
the end of this talk, her cheeks rather flushed, her looks frank and
smiling--a basket of roses in her hand.

She took the finest of them and brought it to Mrs. Pendennis, who was
refreshed by the odour and colour of these flowers; and hung over her
fondly and gave it to her.

"And I might have this prize for the asking!" Pen thought with a thrill
of triumph, as he looked at the kindly girl. "Why, she is as beautiful
and as generous as her roses." The image of the two women remained for
ever after in his mind, and he never recalled it but the tears came into
his eyes.

Before very many weeks' intimacy with her new acquaintance, however,
Miss Laura was obliged to give in to Helen's opinion, and own that the
Muse was selfish, unkind, and inconstant. Of course Blanche confided to
her bosom friend all the little griefs and domestic annoyances; how the
family could not comprehend her and she moved among them an isolated
being; how her poor mamma's education had been neglected, and she was
forced to blush for her blunders; how Sir Francis was a weak person
deplorably unintellectual, and only happy when smoking his odious
cigars; how, since the birth of her little brother, she had seen her
mother's precious affection, which she valued more than anything in
life, estranged from her once darling daughter; how she was alone,
alone, alone in the world.

But these griefs, real and heart-rending though they might be to a young
lady of exquisite sensibility, did not convince Laura of the propriety
of Blanche's conduct in many small incidents of Little Frank, for
instance, life might be very provoking, and might have deprived Blanche
of her mamma's affection, but this was no reason why Blanche should box
the child's ears because he upset a glass of water over her drawing, and
why she should call him many opprobrious names in the English and French
language; and the preference accorded to little Frank was certainly no
reason why Blanche should give herself imperial airs of command towards
the boy's governess, and send that young lady upon messages through
the house to bring her book or to fetch her po