he, "what news?"

"No good news. I suppose I must advertise. Perhaps there is one person
in England or Scotland who would fancy I was worth employing, even
though I am apparently very much at a discount."

"Are you much disheartened?"

"I am very tired," said she; "Rome was not built in a day. I was a fool
to expect success at once."

"You are not too tired to go to Mrs. Rennie's with me this evening. I
have ordered a carriage to call for us."

"Thank you, I will need it, and my dinner, too, in spite of the wine
and cake at Mrs. Dunn's."

Her cousin's quiet sympathy and kindness soothed the girl's aching and
anxious heart; she told him her experiences; and though he was not very
much surprised at the result, he felt keenly for her disappointment.
She had brought a little piece of needlework to fill up vacant hours,
and after dinner she took it out, and soothed her excited feelings by
the quiet feminine employment. There was an hour or more to be passed
before the carriage came for them, and Francis sat on the other side of
the fire cutting the leaves of a new book, and occasionally reading a
passage that struck him. Had any one looked in at the time, he could
not have guessed at the grief and anxiety felt by both of the cousins.
No; it was like a quiet domestic picture of no recent date, not likely
to be soon ended. Jane's sad face lighted up with an occasional smile
at something said or something read; and Francis Hogarth saw more
beauty in her countenance that evening than William Dalzell had ever
seen in all the days he had spent with the supposed heiress whom he
meant to marry.

Chapter IV.

An Evening At Mr. Rennie's

After an hour spent in this quiet way, Jane Melville was sufficiently
rested and tranquillized to go among strangers, in spite of her knowing
the idle curiosity with which she was likely to be regarded. There was
a small party at Mr. Rennie's; but excepting herself and the ladies of
the family, it was composed entirely of gentlemen. Now that Mr. Hogarth
had come into a good landed property, he had spent more than one
evening in the family of the bank manager, and had been discovered to
be presentable anywhere; that he had very tolerable manners and good
literary taste; and both Mrs. and Miss Rennie recollected well how
often papa had spoken highly of him when he was only a clerk in the
bank. Miss Rennie was about nineteen, the eldest of the family, rather
pretty, slightly romantic,