Colonel returned
home to find his nephew George awaiting him there. The scholarly
clergyman had ensconced himself in the back drawing-room, fitted up as
a library, and was making free with the books. "What have you there,
George?" asked the Colonel, after shaking him by the hand. "You seemed
quite absorbed in its contents, and would not have noticed my presence
but for Gyp's bark."

"A volume of poems I never chanced to meet before, full of true genius."

"Bless me, poor Arthur Branthwaite's poems. And you were positively
reading those--not induced to do so by respect for his father? Could you
make head or tail of them?"

"There is a class of poetry which displeases middle age by the very
attributes which render it charming to the young; for each generation
has a youth with idiosyncrasies peculiar to itself, and a peculiar
poetry by which those idiosyncrasies are expressed."

Here George was beginning to grow metaphysical, and somewhat German,
when his uncle's face assumed an expression which can only be compared
to that of a man who dreads a very severe and long operation. George
humanely hastened to relieve his mind.

"But I will not bore you at present."

"Thank you," said the Colonel, brightening up.

"Perhaps you will lend me the book. I am going down to Lady Montfort's
by-and-by, and I can read it by the way."

"Yes, I will lend it to you till next season. Let me have it again then,
to put on the table when Frank Vance comes to breakfast with me. The
poet was his brother-in-law; and though, for that reason, poets and
poetry are a sore subject with Frank, yet the last time he breakfasted
here, I felt, by the shake of his hand in parting, that he felt pleased
by a mark of respect to all that is left of poor Arthur Branthwaite. So
you are going to Lady Montfort? Ask her why she chits me!"

"My dear uncle! You know how secluded her life is at present; but she
has charged me to assure you of her unalterable regard for you; and
whenever her health and spirits are somewhat more recovered, I have
no doubt that she will ask you to give her the occasion to make that
assurance in person."

COLONEL MORLEY.--"Can her health and spirits continue so long affected
by grief for the loss of that distant acquaintance whom the law called
her husband?"

GEORGE.--"She is very far from well, and her spirits are certainly much
broken. And now, uncle, for the little favour I came to ask. Since you
presented me to Mr. Darrel