ur ladyship's mother,
when, at three days' acquaintance, you commence dancing--a pretty dance,
indeed--with this brat out of Virginia?"

"Mr. Warrington is our cousin," pleads Lady Fanny.

"A creature come from nobody knows where is not your cousin! How do we
know he is your cousin? He may be a valet who has taken his master's
portmanteau, and run away in his postchaise."

"But Madame de Bernstein says he is our cousin," interposes Fanny; "and
he is the image of the Esmonds."

"Madame de Bernstein has her likes and dislikes, takes up people and
forgets people; and she chooses to profess a mighty fancy for this young
man. Because she likes him to-day, is that any reason why she should
like him to-morrow? Before company, and in your aunt's presence,
your ladyship will please to be as civil to him as necessary; but, in
private, I forbid you to see him or encourage him."

"I don't care, madam, whether your ladyship forbids me or not!" cries
out Lady Fanny, wrought up to a pitch of revolt.

"Very good, Fanny! then I speak to my lord, and we return to Kensington.
If I can't bring you to reason, your brother will."

At this juncture the conversation between mother and daughter stopped,
or Madame de Bernstein's informer had no further means of hearing or
reporting it.

It was only in after days that she told Harry Warrington a part of what
she knew. At present he but saw that his kinsfolks received him not
unkindly. Lady Castlewood was perfectly civil to him; the young ladies
pleasant and pleased; my Lord Castlewood, a man of cold and haughty
demeanour, was not more reserved towards Harry than to any of the rest
of the family; Mr. William was ready to drink with him, to ride with
him, to go to races with him, and to play cards with him. When he
proposed to go away, they one and all pressed him to stay. Madame de
Bernstein did not tell him how it arose that he was the object of
such eager hospitality. He did not know what schemes he was serving or
disarranging, whose or what anger he was creating. He fancied he was
welcome because those around him were his kinsmen, and never thought
that those could be his enemies out of whose cup he was drinking, and
whose hand he was pressing every night and morning.

CHAPTER XV. A Sunday at Castlewood

The second day after Harry's arrival at Castlewood was a Sunday. The
chapel appertaining to the castle was the village church. A door from
the house communicated with a grea