in her boudoir.

"That'll do, Griffiths," said the countess, as Fanny entered her room;
"you can come up when I ring. Sit down, Fanny; sit down, my dear. I was
thinking Lord Ballindine will soon be here."

"I suppose he will, aunt. In his letter to Lord Cashel, he said he'd be
here before dinner."

"I'm sure he'll be here soon. Dear me; I'm so glad it's all made up
between you. I'm sure, Fanny, I hope, and think, and believe, you'll be
very, very happy."

"Dear aunt"--and Fanny kissed Lady Cashel. A word of kindness to her
then seemed invaluable.

"It was so very proper in Lord Ballindine to give up his horses, and
all that sort of thing," said the countess; "I'm sure I always said
he'd turn out just what he should be; and he is so good-tempered. I
suppose, dear, you'll go abroad the first thing?"

"I haven't thought of that yet, aunt," said Fanny, trying to smile.

"Oh, of course you will; you'll go to the Rhine, and Switzerland, and
Como, and Rome, and those sort of places. It'll be very nice: we went
there--your uncle and I--and it was delightful; only I used to be very
tired. It wasn't then we went to Rome though. I remember now it was
after Adolphus was born. Poor Adolphus!" and her ladyship sighed, as
her thoughts went back to the miseries of her eldest born. "But I'll
tell you why I sent for you, my dear: you know, I must go downstairs
to receive Lord Ballindine, and tell him how glad I am that he's come
back; and I'm sure I am very glad that he's coming; and your uncle will
be there. But I was thinking you'd perhaps sooner see him first alone.
You'll be a little flurried, my dear,--that's natural; so, if you like,
you can remain up here, my dear, in my room, quiet and comfortable, by
yourself; and Griffiths shall show Lord Ballindine upstairs, as soon as
he leaves the drawing-room."

"How very, very kind of you, dear aunt!" said Fanny, relieved from her
most dreadful difficulty. And so it was arranged. Lady Cashel went down
into the drawing-room to await her guest, and Fanny brought her book
into her aunt's boudoir, and pretended she would read till Lord
Ballindine disturbed her.

I need hardly say that she did not read much. She sat there over her
aunt's fire, waiting to catch the sound of the wheels on the gravel
at the front door. At one moment she would think that he was never
coming--the time appeared to be so long; and then again, when she heard
any sound which might be that of his approach, sh