ousin, I believe; but a great friend
of Harvey's.'

"'And of his sister's too, if I might presume so far?'

"'Quite wrong for once,' said she, with an effort to seem at ease:
'he's not the least a favourite of mine, although----'

"'_You_ are of his!' I added quickly. 'Well, well, I really beg pardon
for this boldness of mine.' How I was about to continue, I know not,
when her brother's voice, calling her aloud, broke off all further
conversation.

"'Come, Fanny,' said he, 'here's Harry Douglas, just come with all the
London gossip--he's been to Windsor too, and has been dining with the
Prince. O'Kelly, you must know Douglas, you are just the men to suit
each other.--He's got a heavy book on the Derby, and will be delighted
to have a chat with you about the turf.

"As I followed Miss Blundell into the drawing-room, my heart was heavy
and depressed.

"Few of the misfortunes in life come on us without foreboding. The
clouds that usher in the storm, cast their shadows on the earth before
they break; and so it is with our fate. A gloomy sense of coming evil,
presages the blow about to fall, and he who would not be stunned by the
stroke, must not neglect the warning.

"The room was full of people--the ordinary buzz and chit-chat of an
evening-party was going forward, and an hundred pleasant projects were
forming for the next day's amusement, among which, I heard my name
bandied about, on every side.

"'O'Kelly will arrange this,' cried one--'leave it all to O'Kelly--he
must decide it;' and so on, when suddenly Blundell called out--

"'O'Kelly, come up here,' and then taking me by the arm, he led me
to the end of the room, where with his back turned towards us, a tall
fashionable-looking man was talking to his sister.

"'Harry,' cried the host, as he touched his elbow, 'let me introduce a
very particular friend of mine--Mr. O'Kelly.'

"Captain Douglas wheeled sharply round, and, fixing on me a pair of
dark eyes, overshadowed with heavy beetling brows, looked at me sternly
without speaking. A cold thrill ran through me from head to foot as I
met his gaze; the last time we had seen each other was in a square of
the Royal Barracks, where _he_, was purchasing a remount for his troop,
and _I_, was the horse-dealer.

"'_Your_ friend, Mr. O'Kelly!' said he, as he fixed his glass in his
eye, and a most insulting curl, half smile, half sneer, played about his
mouth.

"'How very absurd you are, Harry,' said Miss Blunde