g, although she heard a
great deal. Daily, hourly, were the accusations of the whole Kennyfeck
family directed against her for the loss of Cashel. But for her, and her
absurd credulity on the statement of an anonymous letter, and there had
been no yacht voyage with Lady Kilgoff--no shipwreck--no life in a cabin
on the coast--no----In a word, all these events had either not happened
at all, or only occurred with Livy Kennyfeck for their heroine.

Roland's cold, almost distant politeness to the young ladies, was marked
enough to appear intentional; nor could all the little by-play
of flirtation with others excite in him the slightest evidence of
displeasure. If the family were outraged at this change, poor Livy
herself bore up admirably; and while playing a hundred little attractive
devices for Cashel, succeeded in making a very deep impression on the
well-whiskered Sir Harvey Upton, of the--th. Indeed, as Linton, who
saw everything, shrewdly remarked, "She may not pocket the ball she
intended, but, rely on't, she 'll make a 'hazard' somewhere."

Of all that great company, but one alone found no place in her heart
for some secret wile; this was Miss Meek, who, sadly disappointed at
the little influence of her royalty, had ceased to care much for in-door
affairs, and spent her mornings "schooling" with Charley, and her
evenings listening to sporting talk whenever two or three "fast men" got
together in the drawing-room.

The evening that preceded Miss Leicester's intended arrival had been
fixed for the reading of Mr. Linton's comedy,--a little dramatic piece,
which, whether he had stolen wholesale from the French, or only borrowed
in part, none knew; but various were the rumors that it would turn out
to be a very satirical composition, with allusions to many of those who
were to sit in judgment over it. How this supposition originated, or
with whom, there is no saying, nor if well-founded in any respect, for
Linton had never shown his sketch to any one, nor alluded to it, save in
the most vague manner.

Each, however, looked to see his neighbor "shown up;" and while one
said, "What a character could be made of old Sir Andrew, with his
vulgarity, his deafness, and his gluttony!" another thought that Downie
Meek, in his oily smoothness, his sighings, and his "dear me's," would
be admirable,--all the ladies averring that Lady Kilgoff would be a
perfect embodiment of Lady Teazle as Sir Peter suspected and Joseph
intended h