aving refrained from writing what I now wish to tell you," she
began. Mr Ashton looked uncomfortable, but nodded for her to continue,
which she did. "While I was with Mrs Musgrave, at Scarborough, a
gentleman of our name, who happened to be there with some members of his
family, was introduced to me. Mrs Musgrave was much pleased with him--
we saw him frequently--he at length proposed to me, and feeling sure
that you would approve of him, I accepted him."

"What is his name?" asked Mr Ashton, sharply.

"Philip Ashton;--he is most worthy--most excellent," answered Mary,
trembling at her father's tone. "He is all--!"

"He is a beggar!" exclaimed Mr Ashton, vehemently. "You will have
nothing more to say to him; you understand me clearly; it is not a
matter I wish to discuss." Rising from his seat he led the way out of
the room.

Two days afterwards Mary received a letter from Philip Ashton, freeing
her from her engagement to him in consequence of their altered
circumstances, but couched in terms which more than ever convinced her
that he was worthy of her best affections. The family arrived in
London, and by dint of perseverance, managed to engage in a whirl of
dissipation, which they called pleasure. Mary's cheeks grew paler than
they were wont. Her sisters said that it was the effect of the London
season. John, voting Oxford a bore, came to London, and without much
difficulty, obtained the character of a fashionable young man about
town. It might have been doubted whether Mr Ashton himself derived
full advantage from his large income. Few of his guests knew him by
sight, and he had often to steal off to bed fatigued with his labours as
director of numerous promising speculations in which he had engaged to
increase his fortune. Altogether the Ashton family were very busily
employed. Some might say that they were like those who "sow the wind to
reap the whirlwind." We gladly quit them to follow the fortunes of
their emigrant cousins.

CHAPTER THREE.

Canada is now traversed from one end to the other by railways, with
numerous ramifications to the north and south, while steam-vessels run
not only on its main artery--the Saint Lawrence--and the great chain of
lakes, but also on numerous other rivers and lakes in every direction on
the lines of the highway to any inhabited district. Notwithstanding
this, the romance of travelling through Canada is not altogether done
away with. Although several of