lived on the
present, waiting anxiously for his coming, and striving hard to do the
things which she thought would please him best.

True to her promise, Mabel had commenced giving her instructions upon
the piano, and they were in the midst of their first lesson, when who
should walk in, but Monsieur Du Pont, bowing, and saying "he had been
hired by von nice gentleman, to give Mademoiselle Rivers lessons in
musique."

'Lena immediately thought of her uncle, who had once proposed her
sharing in the instructions of her cousin, but who, as usual, was
overruled by his wife.

"'Twas my uncle, was it not?" she asked of Du Pont, who replied, "I
promised not to tell. He say, though, he connected with mademoiselle."

And 'Lena, thinking it was of course Mr. Livingstone, who, on his wife's
account, wished it a secret, readily consented to receive Du Pont as a
teacher in place of Mabel, who still expressed her willingness to assist
her whenever it was necessary. Naturally fond of music, 'Lena's
improvement was rapid, and when she found how gratified Durward
appeared, she redoubled her exertions, practicing always five, and
sometimes six hours a day.

CHAPTER XX.

A FATHER'S LOVE.

When it was known at Maple Grove that 'Lena was taking lessons of Du
Pont, it was naturally supposed that Mabel, as she had first
proposed, paid the bills.

"Mighty kind in her, and no mistake," said John Jr., throwing aside
the stump of a cigar which he had been smoking, and thinking to
himself that "Mabel was a nice girl, after all."

The next day, finding the time hang heavily upon his hands, he
suddenly wondered why he had never thought to call upon 'Lena. "To
be sure, I'll feel awfully to go where Nellie used to be, and know
she is not there, but it's lonesomer than a graveyard here, and I'm
bound to do something."

So saying, he mounted Firelock and started off, followed by no
regrets from his mother or sisters, for since Nellie went away he had
been intolerably cross and fault-finding. He found a servant in the
door, so he was saved the trouble of ringing, and entering
unannounced, walked noiselessly to the parlor-door, which was ajar.
'Lena, as usual, sat at the piano, wholly absorbed, while over her
bent Mabel, who was assisting her in the lesson, speaking
encouragingly, and patiently helping her through all the difficult
places. Mabel's health was improved since first we saw her, and
though she was still plain--ugly,