a man who was known to have
spoken disparagingly of them all. Moreover, if the truth must be
owned, Mary was not altogether free from the prejudices of her caste;
and, proud of her father's noble extraction, was apt to pout her
pretty lip on mention of "the people at Lexley Park;" for the General,
who had no secrets from his girls, had foolishly permitted them to see
certain letters addressed to him by the eccentric Sir Laurence Altham,
justifying himself concerning the peculiar clause introduced into his
deeds of conveyance of his Hall estate, on the grounds of the degraded
origin of "the upstart" he was so malignantly intent on discomposing.

"They will spoil our ball, dear papa--I _know_ these vulgar people
will completely spoil our ball!" said she. "I think I hear them
announced:--'Mr Jonas Sparks, Miss Basiliza and Miss Kezia
Sparks!'--What names?"

"The parents of Mr Sparks were dissenters," observed the General,
trying to look severe. "Dissenters are apt to hold to scriptural
names. But _name_ is not _nature_, Mary; and, to judge by appearances,
this man's--this gentleman's--this Mr Sparks's daughters, have every
qualification to be an ornament to society."

"With all my heart, papa, but I wish it were not ours!" cried the
wayward girl. "On the present occasion, especially, I could spare such
an accession to our circle; for I know that Mr Sparks has presumed to
speak of----"

She was interrupted by a sterner reproof on the part of the General
than he had ever before administered to his favourite daughter; and
the consequence of this unusual severity was the distinguished
reception bestowed, both by Selina and her sister, on the family from
Lexley Park.

Next day, however, General Stanley found a totally different cause for
rebuke in the conduct of his dear Mary.

"You talked to nobody last night, but those Sparks's!" said he. "Lord
Dudley informed me he had asked you to dance three times in vain; and
Lord Robert Stanley assured me _he_ could scarcely get a civil answer
from you!--Yet you found time, Mary, to dance twice in the course of
the evening with that son of Sparks's!"

"That son of Sparks's, as you so despisingly call him, dearest papa,
is a most charming partner; while Lord Dudley, and my cousin Robert,
are little better than boors. Everard Sparks can talk and dance, as
well as they ride across a country. Not but what he, too, passes for a
tolerable sportsman; and do you know, papa, Mr Sparks i