iages. Am I a tyrant in my own house? Does my wife appear to
be a slave?"

"There are many happy exceptions, my dear sir," replied I. "With
respect to your son's marrying, I think you need not despair of that;
for it is my opinion that he very soon will be--but this is a secret,
and I must say no more."

"Indeed," replied the judge, "I know of no one, and he would hardly
marry without consulting me."

"Yes, sir, I think that he will, and I shall advise him so to do--as it
is necessary that nothing should be known till it is over. Trust to me,
sir, that if it does take place, you will be quite satisfied with the
choice which he makes; but I must have your pledge not to say one word
about it. You might spoil all."

The old judge fell back in his carriage in a reverie, which lasted some
little while, and then said, "Valerie, I believe that I understand you
now. If it is as I guess, I certainly agree with you that I will ask no
more questions, as I should for many reasons not wish it to appear that
I know any thing about it."

Soon afterwards we arrived at Kew, and, after a pleasant visit, on the
following morning early, I returned to town with the judge. I then
wrote to Lionel, making known to him as much as was necessary, under
pledge of secrecy, and stating my wish that he should follow up my
brother's acquaintance, and the next time that he came over, persuade
him to accompany him, but that he was not to say any thing to him
relative to my being his sister, on any account whatever.

Young Selwyn called the same day that I came from Kew, with the piece of
music which was missing. I made no remarks upon the fact, that the
music might have been delivered to me by his sister, because I felt
assured that it contained a note more musical than any in the score; I
gave it to Caroline, and a few days afterwards, observing that she was
pale and restless, I obtained permission for her to go out with me for
the day. Mr Selwyn happened to call a few minutes after our arrival at
Madame Gironac's, and that frequently occurred for nearly two months,
when the time arrived that she was to be removed from the school.

The reader will, of course, perceive that I was assisting this affair as
much as I could. I admit it; and I did so out of gratitude to Mr
Selwyn's father, for his kindness to me. I knew Caroline to be a good
girl, and well suited to Mr Selwyn; I knew that she must eventually
have a very large fortune; and,