apa,' was the reply, 'for dear Miss Hall is
coming to-day, and that princess of bores, Miss Nugent, has invited
herself to tea. I certainly do wish Rowland Prothero would fall in love
with her. She is quite ready for the _premier venu_, be he prince or
peasant.'

'Does not Lady Mary come, my dear?'

'No; I am thankful to say she is gone to spend a few days with the
Llanfawr family.'

'I am very glad Miss Hall is coming, Freda. I wish she would live with
you; it would be very pleasant, and a protection for you, and all that
sort of thing.'

'Oh, do ask her, dear papa. I have tried a thousand times to persuade
her to come here and live with us for ever; but I think she will not
come on my invitation.'

'I could not possibly ask her, my dear. I should break down at the first
word; we never were very familiar. She is stiff, and I am
nervous--and--and--I really could not summon courage.'

Miss Hall had been Miss Gwynne's governess during a few years of her
education era, and had succeeded in entirely gaining her affections, as
well as a small portion of ascendancy over her determined will. She had
left Glanyravon to reside with an aged father, who, having lately died,
left her again under the necessity of seeking a situation. Miss Gwynne
had invited her to pay her a visit, and she was to arrive almost
immediately.

She did arrive whilst they were talking about her, and as the carriage
that had been sent to meet her drove up to the door out flew Freda in
great excitement, and scarcely allowed her _ci-devant_ governess to
alight before she was overwhelming her with embraces. Mr Gwynne followed
somewhat more leisurely, and received Miss Hall with his usual nervous
reserve of manner, but great courtesy. She responded most warmly to the
embraces of Freda, and quietly to the welcome of Mr Gwynne.

We will not give a minute description of the new comer, because she is
not quite a person to be described. She is neither very good-looking nor
very plain, neither very old nor very young, neither very tall nor very
short, neither very talkative nor very reserved, neither very much
over-dressed nor very much under-dressed, neither very merry nor very
grave. Freda used to say that she was the personification of gentle
dignity and serenity, and in the days of her Italian studies called her
occasionally _La Dignita_, but more frequently _La Serenita_, which
epithet would sometimes be abbreviated into Serena, or Sera, or Nita, or