"Selina," said her ladyship, as soon as her daughter was seated on
the sofa opposite to her mother's easy chair, while Griffiths, having
shut the door, had, according to custom, sat herself down on her own
soft-bottomed chair, on the further side of the little table that
always stood at the countess's right hand. "Selina, what do you think
your father tells me?"

Lady Selina couldn't think, and declined guessing; for, as she
remarked, guessing was a loss of time, and she never guessed right.

"Adolphus is coming home on Tuesday."

"Adolphus! why it's not a month since he was here."

"And he's not coming only for a visit; he's coming to stay here; from
what your father says, I suppose he'll stay here the greater part of
the summer."

"What, stay at Grey Abbey all May and June?" said Lady Selina,
evidently discrediting so unlikely a story, and thinking it all but
impossible that her brother should immure himself at Grey Abbey during
the London season.

"It's true, my lady," said Griffiths, oracularly; as if her word were
necessary to place the countess's statement beyond doubt.

"Yes," continued Lady Cashel; "and he has given up all his
establishment in London--his horses, and clubs, and the opera, and all
that. He'll go into Parliament, I dare say, now, for the county; at any
rate he's coming to live at home here for the summer."

"And has he sold all his horses?" asked Lady Selina.

"If he's not done it, he's doing it," said the countess. "I declare
I'm delighted with him; it shows such proper feeling. I always knew he
would; I was sure that when the time came for doing it, Adolphus would
not forget what was due to himself and to his family."

"If what you say is true, mamma, he's going to be married."

"That's just what I was thinking, my lady," said Griffiths. "When her
ladyship first told me all about it,--how his lordship was coming down
to live regular and decorous among his own people, and that he was
turning his back upon his pleasures and iniquities, thinks I to myself
there'll be wedding favours coming soon to Grey Abbey."

"If it is so, Selina, your father didn't say anything to me about it,"
said the countess, somewhat additionally flustered by the importance of
the last suggestion; "and if he'd even guessed such a thing, I'm sure
he'd have mentioned it."

"It mightn't be quite fixed, you know, mamma: but if Adolphus is doing
as you say, you may be sure he's either engaged, or thinking of
be