nd consolatory;
and they at any rate did no harm, for Fanny was thinking of something
else before she had half finished her speech.

They had both again been silent for a short time, when the door opened,
and in came the earl. His usual pomposity of demeanour was somewhat
softened by a lachrymose air, which, in respect to his ward's grief, he
put on as he turned the handle of the door; and he walked somewhat more
gently than usual into the room.

"Well, Fanny, how are you now?" he said, as he crept up to her. "You
shouldn't brood over these sad thoughts. Your poor brother has gone to
a better world; we shall always think of him as one who had felt no
sorrow, and been guilty of but few faults. He died before he had wasted
his fortune and health, as he might have done:--this will always be a
consolation."

It was singular how nearly alike were the platitudes of the daughter
and the father. The young man had not injured his name, or character,
in the world, and had left his money behind him: and, therefore, his
death was less grievous!

Fanny did not answer, but she sat upright on the sofa as he came up to
her--and he then sat down beside her.

"Perhaps I'm wrong, Fanny, to speak to you on other subjects so soon
after the sad event of which we heard last night; but, on the whole,
I think it better to do so. It is good for you to rouse yourself, to
exert yourself to think of other things; besides it will be a comfort
to you to know that I have already done, what I am sure you strongly
wished to have executed at once."

It was not necessary for the guardian to say anything further to induce
his ward to listen. She knew that he was going to speak about Lord
Ballindine, and she was all attention.

"I shall not trouble, you, Fanny, by speaking to you now, I hope?"

"No;" said Fanny, with her heart palpitating. "If it's anything I ought
to hear, it will be no trouble to me."

"Why, my dear, I do think you ought to know, without loss of time that
Lord Ballindine has been with me this morning."

Fanny blushed up to her hair--not with shame, but with emotion as to
what was coming next.

"I have had a long conversation with him," continued the earl, "in the
book-room, and I think I have convinced him that it is for your mutual
happiness"--he paused, for he couldn't condescend to tell a lie; but in
his glib, speechifying manner, he was nearly falling into one--"mutual
happiness" was such an appropriate prudential phrase