riage, no doubt." He smoothed it over, but was a little put out,
and stalked away without another word: he had said enough to put Jael's
bosom in a flutter, and open a bright prospect to her heart; Miss
Carden once disposed of in marriage, what might she not hope? She now
reflected, with honest pride, that she had merited Henry's love by rare
unselfishness. She had advised him loyally, had even co-operated with
him as far as any poor girl, with her feelings for him, could do; and
now Mr. Coventry was going to propose marriage to her rival, and she
believed Miss Carden would say "yes," though she could not in her heart
believe that even Miss Carden did not prefer the other. "Ay, lad," said
she, "if I am to win thee, I'll be able to say I won thee fair."

These sweet thoughts and hopes soon removed her temporary anger, and
nothing remained to dash the hopeful joy that warmed that large and
loyal heart this afternoon, except a gentle misgiving that Mr. Coventry
might make Grace a worse husband than she deserved. It was thus she read
the magpie, from three o'clock till six that afternoon.

When a man and a woman do any thing wrong, it is amusing to hear the
judgments of other men and women thereupon. The men all blame the man,
and the women all the woman. That is judgment, is it not?

But in some cases our pitch-farthing judgments must be either heads or
tails; so Mr. Raby, who had cried heads, when a Mrs. Raby would have
cried "woman," was right; it WAS Mr. Coventry, and not Miss Carden, who
leaned over to George, and whispered, "A sovereign, to drive on without
her! Make some excuse."

The cunning Yorkshire groom's eye twinkled at this, and he remained
passive a minute or two: then, said suddenly, with well-acted fervor, "I
can't keep the pony waiting in the cold, like this;" applied the
whip, and rattled off with such decision, that Grace did not like
to interfere, especially as George was known to be one of those hard
masters, an old servant.

So, by this little ruse, Mr. Coventry had got her all to himself for the
afternoon. And now she felt sure he would propose that very day.

She made no movement whatever either to advance or to avoid the
declaration.

It is five miles from Raby Hall, through Cairnhope village, to the
eastern foot of Cairnhope; and while George rattles them over the hard
and frosty road, I will tell the reader something about this young
gentleman, who holds the winning cards.

Mr. Frederick