eave of Rosey and the Campaigner, of the two stout
elders, and our melancholy young Clive, who bore us company to Antwerp,
and who won Laura's heart by the neat way in which he took her child on
board ship. Poor fellow! how sad he looked as he bowed to us and took
off his hat! His eyes did not seem to be looking at us, though they and
his thoughts were turned another way. He moved off immediately, with his
head down, puffing his eternal cigar, and lost in his own meditations;
our going or our staying was of very little importance to the lugubrious
youth.

"I think it was a great pity they came to Brussels," says Laura, as we
sate on the deck, while her unconscious infant was cheerful, and while
the water of the lazy Scheldt as yet was smooth.

"Who? The Colonel and Clive? They are very handsomely lodged. They have
a good maitre d'hotel. Their dinners, I am sure, are excellent; and your
child, madam, is as healthy as it possibly can be."

"Blessed darling! Yes!" (Blessed darling crows, moos, jumps in his
nurse's arms, and holds out a little mottled hand for a biscuit of
Savoy, which mamma supplies.) "I can't help thinking, Arthur, that
Rosey would have been much happier as Mrs. Hoby than she will be as Mrs.
Newcome."

"Who thinks of her being Mrs. Newcome?"

"Her mother, her uncle, and Clive's father, Since the Colonel has been
so rich, I think Mrs. Mackenzie sees a great deal of merit in Clive.
Rosey will do anything her mother bids her. If Clive can be brought to
the same obedience, Uncle James and the Colonel will be delighted. Uncle
James has set his heart on this marriage. (He and his sister agree upon
this point.) He told me, last night, that he would sing 'Nunc dimittis,'
could he but see the two children happy; and that he should lie easier
in purgatory if that could be brought about."

"And what did you say, Laura?"

"I laughed, and told Uncle James I was of the Hoby faction. He is very
good-natured, frank, honest, and gentlemanlike, Mr. Hoby. But Uncle
James said he thought Mr. Hoby was so--well, so stupid--that his Rosey
would be thrown away upon the poor Captain. So I did not tell Uncle
James that, before Clive's arrival, Rosey had found Captain Hoby far
from stupid. He used to sing duets with her; he used to ride with her
before Clive came. Last winter, when they were at Pau, I feel certain
Miss Rosey thought Captain Hoby very pleasant indeed. She thinks she was
attached to Clive formerly, and now sh