He settled that they
should, for the present, reside at the Rectory. Ethelind's countenance
brightened, for she fancied she had solved part of the mystery, and
that Mr. Eardly was not yet coming, and till his arrival they would be
permitted to reside there.

The evening before the ceremony was to take place, Mr. Barclay came in
with two ladies. One, a benign but august looking personage; the
other, a sylph-like, beautiful creature of eighteen, whom he
introduced as his mother and younger sister. Ethelind timidly but
gracefully received them. Their kind and easy manner soon removed the
little restraint there was at first, but she was still bewildered, and
could hardly fancy she was not dreaming; their appearance, too,
increased rather than diminished her wonder, for they were most
elegantly attired. After allowing a short time for conversation, she
went out and fetched her mother, and all parties seemed delighted with
each other. After sitting some time, Mr. Barclay, looking at his
mother, rose, and taking Ethelind's hand, said, "now, my disinterested
girl, allow me to introduce myself as Frederic Barclay Eardly!"

"Can it be possible!" exclaimed Mrs. Fortescue and Ethelind at once,
and with the utmost surprise, while Lady Eardly and her daughter sat
smiling and pleased spectators.

"Yes, my dear Ethelind; but the deception has been very unpremeditated
on my part, as you shall hear. Arriving in England alone, I came down,
merely intending to look round, having had some reason to be
dissatisfied with Mr. Jones, the acting curate, by whom, when I got to
the inn, I was supposed to be the new curate, and as such, I believe,
received very differently to what I should have been as the rector;
and anxious to know exactly the state of my parishioners, thought, in
the humble capacity, they had taken me, I might better do this. In
calling to see your mother, who, I thought, from her previous good
deeds in the parish, was likely to be an efficient adviser, I was
invited to tea, and from the conversation of both you and her, I
found, that while as the curate I should have free intercourse at the
cottage, as the Hon. Frederic Eardly the doors would be closed on me;
added to this, was a lurking hope that I might, eventually, gain your
affections, and know that you loved me for myself alone. Your reserve
however, dispelled, for a time, that illusion. Beatrice Trevor came
and threw out lures I could not resist, and I was fairly entra