the same as in old days. He took a great fancy to my boy, John Hampden,
and, after all, my boy is to go to Oxford, and not to Owens College, as
I had first intended."

"That is a great change."

"Well, I wanted him to go to Owens College, I confess, but I did not
care so much about Mill Hill. That was his mother's fancy; she was
very strong about that. It is a Nonconformist school, but I am not a
Nonconformist. I do not much admire dogmas, but I am a Churchman as my
fathers were. However, John Hampden is not to go to Mill Hill. He has
gone to a sort of college near Oxford, which the archbishop recommended
to us; the principal, and all the tutors are clergyman--of course of our
Church. My wife was quite delighted with it all."

"Well, that is a good thing."

"And so," continued Thornberry, "she got it into her head she should
like to live at Hurstley, and I took the place. I am afraid I have been
foolish enough to lay out a great deal of money there--for a place not
my own. Your ladyship would not know the old hall. I have, what
they call, restored it, and upon my word, except the new hall of the
Clothworkers' Company, where I dined the other day, I do not know
anything of the kind that is prettier."

"The dear old hall!" murmured Lady Roehampton.

In time, though no one mentioned it, everybody thought that if an
alliance ultimately took place between Lady Roehampton and Mr. Sidney
Wilton, it would be the most natural thing in the world, and everybody
would approve it. True, he was her father's friend, and much her senior,
but then he was still good-looking, very clever, very much considered,
and lord of a large estate, and at any rate he was a younger man than
her late husband.

When these thoughts became more rife in society, and began to take
the form of speech, the year was getting old, and this reminds us of
a little incident which took place many months previously, at the
beginning of the year, and which we ought to record.

Shortly after the death of Lord Roehampton, Prince Florestan called one
morning in St. James' Square. He said he would not ask Lady Roehampton
to see him, but he was obliged suddenly to leave England, and he did not
like to depart without personally inquiring after her. He left a letter
and a little packet. And the letter ran thus:

"I am obliged, madam, to leave England suddenly, and it is probable that
we shall never meet again. I should be happy if I had your prayers! This
lit