as delicate and reverential and devoted as if she were the most
accomplished and enviable lady in the land, and more so, Miss Marian,
more so!"

"I can well believe it! He looks like that!" said the beautiful girl,
her face flushing and her eyes filling with generous sympathy. But
Marian was rather averse to sentimentality, so dashing the sparkling
drops from her blushing cheeks, she looked up and said: "Miss Nancy, we
are going to have chickens for dinner. How do you like them cooked? It
don't matter a bit to Edith and me."

"Stewed, then, if you please, Miss Marian! or stop--no--I think baked in
a pie!"

CHAPTER VIII

THE FOREST FAIRY.

On the afternoon of the same day spent by Miss Nancy Skamp at Old Field
Cottage, the family at Luckenough were assembled in that broad, central
passage, their favorite resort in warm weather.

Five years had made very little alteration here, excepting in the case
of Jacquelina, who had grown up to be the most enchanting sprite that
ever bewitched the hearts, or turned the heads of men. She was petite,
slight, agile, graceful; clustering curls of shining gold encircled a
round, white forehead, laughing in light; springs under springs of fun
and frolic sparkled up from the bright, blue eyes, whose flashing light
flew bird-like everywhere, but rested nowhere. She seemed even less
human and irresponsible than when a child--verily a being of the air,
a fairy, without human thoughtfulness, or sympathy, or affections! She
only seemed so--under all that fay-like levity there was a heart. Poor
heart! little food or cultivation had it had in all its life.

For who had been Jacquelina's educators?

First, there was the commodore, with his alternations of blustering
wrath and foolish fondness, giving way to his anger, or indulging his
love, without the slightest regard to the effect produced upon his young
ward--too often abusing her for something really admirable in her
nature--and full as frequently praising her for something proportionately
reprehensible in her conduct.

Next, there was the dark, and solemn, and fanatical Dr. Grimshaw, her
destined bridegroom, who really and truly loved the child to fatuity,
and conscientiously did the very best he could for her mental and moral
welfare, according to his light. Alas! "when the light that is in one is
darkness, how great is that darkness!" Jacquelina rewarded his serious
efforts with laughter, and flattered him with the pet na