e horses in the care of a
servant, and walked across a wide, unenclosed space of green to the
house. It was a long, ugly building, with innumerable windows. The
walls were whitewashed, and glared out painfully in the sunshine; the
roof, window-frames, and doors painted a dull red; but the situation,
similar to that of Mrs. Costello's Cottage, was lovely, and a group of
fine trees standing just where the green bank began to slope down
abruptly to the river, gave a delicious shade to that side of the
building and to some seats placed under them. Mr. Latour, in letting the
house, had retained one room for his daughters, who were fond of the
place, and they still kept possession of it. Here they were to dine; for
the rest of the day, out of doors was much pleasanter than in.

A boat and fishing-tackle were at hand, but it was too hot to fish;
after wandering about a little, they all sat down under the trees. Mrs.
Bellairs, Bella, and Lucia had some pretence of work in their hands; the
three gentlemen lounged on the grass near them. The farmer's children,
at play at the end of the house, occasionally darted out to peep at
them, and flew back again the moment they were perceived. Everything
else was still, even the leaves overhead did not move, and the silence
was so infectious that by degrees all talk ceased--each had his or her
own dreams for the moment. Bella and Doctor Morton, utterly unromantic
pair of lovers as they were, must have had some touch of the ordinary
softness of human nature; they looked content with all the world. Lucia,
leaning back with her crochet lying on her lap, and her eyes half hidden
by their black lashes, had yielded herself up entirely to the indolent
enjoyment of perfect stillness, forgetting even to be conscious of the
pair of handsome blue eyes which rested on her, taking in luxuriously
the charm of her beauty.

When this pause had lasted a minute or two, a sudden glance passed
between Mr. and Mrs. Bellairs. His said, "I am afraid you were
right;"--hers, "What shall we do?" to which he replied by getting up,
and saying,

"Are you all going to sleep, good people?"

A reluctant stir, and change of position among the group, answered him.

"What else can we do?" asked Bella. "It is too hot to move."

"If you intend to go on the river to-day, it had better be soon," said
her brother-in-law. "There is every appearance of a storm coming on."

"Not before we get home, I hope. But look, there is