ish to stop there
so early, as she knew _she_ was not expected.

"But perfectly welcome, nevertheless," 'Lena hastened to say,
thinking that for the time being the reputation of her uncle's house
was resting upon her shoulders.

"I dare say," was Mrs. Graham's ungracious answer, and then her
little gray, deep-set eyes rested upon 'Lena, wondering if she were
"a governess or what?" and thinking it strange that she should seem
so perfectly self-possessed.

Insensibly, too, 'Lena's manner won upon her, for spite of her
fretfulness, Mrs. Graham at heart was a kindly disposed woman. Ill
health and long years of dissipation had helped to make her what she
was. Besides this, she was not quite happy in her domestic
relations, for though Mr. Graham possessed all the requisites of a
kind and affectionate husband, he could not remove from her mind the
belief that he liked others better then he did herself! 'Twas in
vain that he alternately laughed at and reasoned with her on the
subject. She was not to be convinced, and so poor Mr. Graham, who
was really exceedingly polite and affable to the ladies, was almost
constantly provoking the green-eyed monster by his attentions to some
one of the fair sex. In spite of his nightly "Caudle" lectures, he
_would_ transgress again and again, until his wife's patience was
exhausted, and now she affected to have given him up, turning for
comfort and affection toward Durward, who was her special delight,
"the very apple of her eye--he was so much like his father, Sir
Arthur, who during the whole year that she lived with him had never
once given her cause for jealousy."

Just before 'Lena entered the parlor Mr. Graham, had for a moment
stepped out with Mr. Livingstone, but soon returning, he, too, was
introduced to the young lady. It was strange, considering 'Lena's
uncommon beauty, that Mrs. Graham did not watch her husband's manner,
but for once in her life she felt no fears, and looking from the
window, she failed to note the sudden pallor which overspread his
face when Mr. Livingstone presented to him "Miss Rivers--my niece."

Mr. Graham was a tall, finely-formed man, with a broad, good-humored
face, whose expression instantly demanded respect from strangers,
while his pleasant, affable deportment universally won the friendship
of ail who knew him. And 'Lena was not an exception to the general
rule, for the moment his warm hand grasped hers and his kindly
beaming eye rested upon