umbled against the head of the house. When
he adopted that frank tone, there was no fathoming his meaning: often it
would not be discovered until months had passed. He did not say, "This
is true," but, "I mean that this statement should be accepted and
believed in my family." It was then a thing convenue, that my Lord
Castlewood had a laudable desire to cultivate the domestic affections,
and to educate, amuse, and improve his young relative; and that he had
taken a great fancy to the lad, and wished that Harry should stay for
some time near his lordship.

"What is Castlewood's game now?" asked William of his mother and sister
as they disappeared into the corridors. "Stop! By George, I have it!"

"What, William?"

"He intends to get him to play, and to win the Virginia estate back from
him. That's what it is!"

"But the lad has not got the Virginia estate to pay, if he loses,"
remarks mamma.

"If my brother has not some scheme in view, may I be----."

"Hush! Of course he has a scheme in view. But what is it?"

"He can't mean Maria--Maria is as old as Harry's mother," muses Mr.
William.

"Pooh! with her old face and sandy hair and freckled skin! Impossible!"
cries Lady Fanny, with somewhat of a sigh.

"Of course, your ladyship had a fancy for the Iroquois, too!" cried
mamma.

"I trust I know my station and duty better, madam! If I had liked him,
that is no reason why I should marry him. Your ladyship hath taught me
as much as that."

"My Lady Fanny!"

"I am sure you married our papa without liking him. You have told me so
a thousand times!"

"And if you did not love our father before marriage, you certainly did
not fall in love with him afterwards," broke in Mr. William, with a
laugh. "Fan and I remember how our honoured parents used to fight. Don't
us, Fan? And our brother Esmond kept the peace."

"Don't recall those dreadful low scenes, William!" cries mamma. "When
your father took too much drink, he was like a madman; and his conduct
should be a warning to you, sir, who are fond of the same horrid
practice."

"I am sure, madam, you were not much the happier for marrying the man
you did not like, and your ladyship's title hath brought very little
along with it," whimpered out Lady Fanny. "What is the use of a coronet
with the jointure of a tradesman's wife?--how many of them are richer
than we are? There is come lately to live in our Square, at Kensington,
a grocer's widow from London Bridge, whose