r dine in peace at home.'

Mrs. Edmonstone was not happy, but she had great confidence in Guy; and
her only real scruple was, that she did not think it fair to occupy him
entirely with attendance on her son. She referred it to papa, which, as
every one knew, was the same as yielding the point, and consoled herself
by the certainty that to prevent it would be a great disappointment to
both the youths. Laura was convinced that to achieve the adventure of
Charles at the review, was at present at least a matter of far more
prominence with Guy than anything relating to herself.

All but Laura and her mother were wild about the weather, especially
on Wednesday, when there was an attempt at a thunder storm. Nothing was
studied but the sky; and the conversation consisted of prognostications,
reports of rises and falls of the glass, of the way weather-cocks were
turning, or about to turn, of swallows flying high or low, red sunsets,
and halos round the moon, until at last Guy, bursting into a merry
laugh, begged Mrs. Edmonstone's pardon for being such a nuisance, and
made a vow, and kept it, that be the weather what it might, he would say
not another word about it that evening; it deserved to be neglected, for
he had not been able to settle to anything all day.

He might have said for many days before; for since the last ball, and
still more since Lady Eveleen had been at Hollywell, it had been one
round of merriment and amusement. Scrambling walks, tea-drinkings out
of doors, dances among themselves, or with the addition of the Harpers,
were the order of the day. Amy, Eveleen, and Guy, could hardly come into
the room without dancing, and the piano was said to acknowledge nothing
but waltzes, polkas, and now and then an Irish jig, for the special
benefit of Mr. Edmonstone's ears. The morning was almost as much spent
in mirth as the afternoon, for the dawdlings after breakfast, and before
luncheon, had a great tendency to spread out and meet, there was new
music and singing to be practised, or preparations made for evening's
diversion, or councils to be held, which Laura's absence could not break
up, though it often made Amy feel how much less idle and frivolous Laura
was than herself. Eveleen said the same, but she was visiting, and
it was a time to be idle; and Mr. Lascelles seemed to be of the same
opinion with regard to his pupil; for, when Guy was vexed at not having
done as much work as usual, he only laughed at him for ex