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respectful courtsey to Lady Olivia, and an angry glance at Miss Neville, whom she had before heard of as a Methodist, but whom she resolved henceforward, at all hazards, to avoid, as well as every one whom she suspected of similar sentiments.

"Lady Olivia is a most interesting person," she said to Eleanor, as they walked homewards. "That pale alabaster countenance, and those exquisitely chiselled features, are so classical, that I could gaze at her for ever. All her movements are graceful; and then her voice is music itself. I am a great connoisseur in voices, having always been considered to have a remarkably melodious one myself; and nothing can be a surer index of the character. Miss Neville's is singularly discordant."

"Eleanor! Eleanor!" cried Matilda Howard from a distance, whose tone of eager animation attracted instant attention. "Dear Eleanor! surely you are not going without a single glance at our garden! I have been busy all morning weeding the flower plots, and little thought that you were sitting in the house without once asking to see me !"

Our heroine held out her hand to Eleanor, with an affectionate smile, when they met; and she entreated Miss Marabout to return, if it were only for a single moment. "I know it would make Eleanor so happy!" said she anxiously. "Every thing is in order and beauty this morning," continued she, turning to her cousin. The scarlet geranium has grown amazingly since you saw it last; and the new calmia is very thriving. I am sorry to mention that my grafted rose-tree met with an accident yesterday; and the fuschia is really dying after all our care. But

"My dear Matilda, any one would suppose you had a large family of children, and were telling me their whole history," exclaimed Eleanor, with a satirical laugh. “It diverts me to see how keen you still are about our 'little

landed property,' as we used to call it; and you really seem to be as much a child as ever about it. As for myself, I continue to be passionately fond of plants, but would not take the trouble you do in rearing them, for the world. If it had occurred to me, however, I really would have searched in the green house to investigate whether there were any flowers fit to make a bouquet for Lady Montague's ball to-night."

"Then I have luckily anticipated your wishes," said Matilda, uncovering a brilliant group of the most beautiful camellias. "I gathered these this morning, thinking there might be some opportunity of sending them to town before evening; but I little thought to have the pleasure of presenting them to yourself, for we meet so seldom, now, Eleanor; and it makes a sad blank to me. I dare say you lament as much as I do, the 'gay old times,' when we were so merry together, and now that Miss Marabout has once found her way here, I hope she will frequently come back. I should think no one could ever go away from this dear place, without wishing to return often."

"Oh, certainly!" replied Eleanor, in a very indifferent tone. "I quite doat upon the little hermitage! But it will be ages before we are able to see it again, as I am engaged for several weeks to come; and really the walk is a serious undertaking! I would not retrace the two or three steps you wish me, for a principality, being already wearied to death."

"How old and frail you are become, Eleanor!" said Matilda. "You used formerly to think the business of the day only begun, when we had reached Ashgrove. I came here this morning long before breakfast, and have been busy ever since."

"I blame Miss Porson very much, thing!" exclaimed Miss Marabout.. pose that a large bonnet will be any

for allowing such a "It is vain to supsufficient protection

from the sun, for before twenty, I prophesy, Miss Howard, that you will have the complexion of a gipsy, and an appetite that would shame a grouse-shooter."

"How very alarming!" said Eleanor, affectedly. “I am sure you will cure Matilda of her love for gardening, by such a threat; at least mine could not have survived it an hour. Well, many thanks for the camellias! What a liberal supply this is! But you know, Matilda, I was always like the Lord Mayor's fool, who liked every thing that was good, and the more the better. Now, good morning, for we must homeward plod our way, without putting off any more time. Adieu, au revoir !"

"Farewell, dear Eleanor. It never occurred to me that you were in haste, or I should not have caused this delay; but I have a thousand things to say, so it is lucky you put me in mind, or I might have detained you for an hour."

"Or perhaps two," replied Eleanor, laughing; "but it is worth while to remain for such a bouquet as this-a bucket of flowers, as our gardener calls it. Good bye."

Matilda stood for some moments looking after Eleanor, with a vague feeling of disappointment. The tears unconsciously gathered in her eyes, and she returned to the garden, chilled in heart, and grieved in her inmost spirit; for there was a sense of loneliness amidst these gay and blooming scenes which she had never experienced before, and which was caused by the irresistible consciousness of her cousin's indifference.

"I always thought that Eleanor's estrangement was entirely owing to Miss Marabout," thought she, sorrowfully. But there is an alteration in her own feelings, also, for which I cannot possibly account. Her manner was cold and absent, compared with what it used to be, and she seems to take no interest in any thing now! not even in the recollection of our former happy days! What can it be that has worked such a change in so short a time!

Scarcely a year has elapsed since every thought of our hearts was in common. But now !"

Matilda wiped away the falling tear, for she saw Lady Olivia and Miss Porson approaching, and she would not for the world have breathed a thought to the disparagement of Eleanor's affection, which she yet hoped to see revived.

CHAPTER VIII.

They who know the most,

Must mourn the deepest o'er the fatal truth,
The tree of knowledge is not that of life.

COWPER.

ONE morning, Lady Olivia was surprised at the unusually consequential manner in which Miss Neville entered the dining-room to join her at luncheon, and observed her swallow what she ate with such an extreme degree of vehemence, that evidently some emotion of no ordinary kind was working within. Miss Neville felt obviously in a state of great excitement; and there could be no doubt it was of an agreeable kind, from the triumphant expression which glittered in her eye, and pervaded her whole manner. Still, whatever might be the subject of her meditation, she seemed disposed to make an entire monopoly of it, as she persevered for some time in a dignified and unbroken silence. Lady Olivia never allowed curiosity to get the better of good breeding; and as no possible conjecture that she could form, seemed sufficient to account for the heightened colour and excited appearance of her companion, she contented herself with dropping out occasionally a few leading observations on the fineness of the day for walking on the advantage of the wind having so unexpectedly changed to the west, and on the beauty of a rain-bow which had appeared an hour before. Miss Neville for some time preserved silence, being one of those sublime characters who must not be suspected of interesting themselves in trifles, or of ever entering into the rudiments of conversation.