frica,--the wildest schemes! Dear County Guy, as we called
him at Eton! what a career his might have been! Don't let us talk of
him, it makes me mournful. Like Goethe, I avoid painful subjects upon
principle."

LADY MONTFORT.--"No; we will not talk of him. No; I take the Queen's
pawn. No, we will not talk of him! no!" The game proceeded; the Colonel
was within three moves of checkmating his adversary. Forgetting the
resolution come to, he said, as she paused, and seemed despondently
meditating a hopeless defence,

"Pray, my fair cousin, what makes Montfort dislike my old friend
Darrell?"

"Dislike! Does he! I don't know. Vanquished again, Colonel Morley!"
She rose; and as he restored the chessmen to their box, she leaned
thoughtfully over the table.

"This young kinsman, will he not be a comfort to Mr. Darrell?"

"He would be a comfort and a pride to a father; but to Darrell, so
distant a kinsman,--comfort!--why and how? Darrell will provide for him,
that is all. A very gentlemanlike young man; gone to Paris by my advice;
wants polish and knowledge of life. When he comes back he must enter
society: I have put his name up at White's; may I introduce him to you?"

Lady Montfort hesitated, and, after a pause, said, almost rudely, "No."

She left the Colonel, slightly shrugging his shoulders, and passed into
the billiard-room with a quick step. Some ladies were already there
looking at the players. Lord Montfort was chalking his cue. Lady
Montfort walked straight up to him: her colour was heightened; her lip
was quivering; she placed her hand on his shoulder with a wife-like
boldness. It seemed as if she had come there to seek him from an impulse
of affection. She asked with a hurried fluttering kindness of voice,
if he had been successful, and called him by his Christian name.
Lord Montfort's countenance, before merely apathetic, now assumed an
expression of extreme distaste. "Come to teach me to make a cannon, I
suppose!" he said mutteringly, and turning from her, contemplated the
balls and missed the cannon.

"Rather in my way, Lady Montfort," said he then, and, retiring to a
corner, said no more.

Lady Montfort's countenance became still more flushed. She lingered a
moment, returned to the drawing-room, and for the rest of the evening
was unusually animated, gracious, fascinating. As she retired with her
lady guests for the night she looked round, saw Colonel Morley, and held
out her hand to him.

"Your nep