ness of receiving as a guest a person so ill qualified to
associate with her as is Mrs Heneage Devereux, by birth and breeding,
and perhaps--I fear"----And again his voice faltered, and his eye
avoided mine--"I fear, by other circumstances, previous to her union
with my cousin; but _he is_ my cousin, you know, and--and--my dear
sister _could not_ disoblige me;"--and as he pressed his lips to her
hand as it lay upon the arm of his easy-chair, I saw a tear drop on it
from his closed eyelids. "Of course," he continued, recovering himself
after a moment's pause, during which I had endeavoured to relieve his
distress by a few cheerful, though scarce connected words--"Of course,
during the time of my cousin's visit to us, we shall live secluded from
our friends and neighbours; for I cannot expect from any lady the
complaisance of meeting Mrs Heneage Devereux at my table." Yet he looked
at me half-imploringly as he spoke, and it would be impossible for me
to describe the expression of grateful affection which beamed in the
countenances of both brother and sister, when I hastened to remove the
humiliating doubt, by exclaiming, "Whatever be your intention with
regard to the neighbourhood in general, my dear sir, do not flatter
yourself you will so easily banish your old and attached friends.
Neither my wife nor I could endure a week's exclusion from Devereux
Hall, and I think it is more than that period of time since we have sat
at your hospitable board. Mrs L---- would take it kindly if you were to
invite us for to-morrow, and we would do our best to help you to
entertain these inconvenient visitors."

Mr Devereux grasped my hand, and looked his grateful acquiescence to my
proposal, for it was more than a minute before he could speak it
audibly, and I left my valued friends that morning with the comfort of
believing that I had been so fortunate as to evince my affection for
them in the way most grateful and soothing to their feelings.

As I passed through the Hall in my way out, the door of the eating-room
burst open, and out rushed a couple of overdressed hoydens, with
flame-coloured faces and arms, followed by a hopeful youth, all
shirt-collar and cravat, booted and spurred, and armed with a dog-whip,
which he flourished in playful menace after the fair fugitives,
eloquently apostrophising them with--"Hoie! hoie! little dogs!--That's
it, Loa!--Well run, Phil!--Unkennel the old one!" At sight of me the
frolicsome trio slunk b