ng for dinner. Among these, with
a movement of vexation, Cecil observed Major Fane, her father's
persistent encouragement of whom began to cause her serious uneasiness.
Why, this was the second time within four days he had been asked to dine!
"Can he possibly have spoken to papa first?" thought she. "It is just the
sort of matter-of-fact thing he would do." Revolving it over, she walked
slowly towards her step-mother, who was revelling in a packet of English
letters just received, and began reading out portions to Cecil, who
listened absently at first, till a passage in one of them, from
circumstances, arrested her attention.

It was from a cousin of Mrs. Rolleston's, and chiefly related to her
only daughter, who was heiress to a considerable property. This child
had always been backward and excitable, and apparently incapable of the
fatigue of study. The letter went on to say that Evelyn was developing
a passion for music, even attempting to compose, and that the writer
desired to find a good musician to reside with them, who should be also
young and cheerful, and likely to tempt her on in other branches of
education as well.

"Mrs. Leighton is exactly describing Bluebell," said Cecil, quietly.

"Oh! and she would suit them so perfectly. I _wonder_ if it would do!
Bluebell will be crazy with delight, she has such a wish to see England;
but I doubt if her mother would part with her to such a distance."

Cecil despised herself for saying,--"If you were to put it very strongly
to Mrs. Leigh, and show her the advantages to her daughter,--for they are
rich as Croesus, and would pay anything for a fancy,--surely she would
not stand in her way."

Mrs. Rolleston was meditating, and answered, rather inconsequently,--"I
feel greatly interested in Bluebell. I think she is very conscientious
and right-minded. Mr. Vavasour never comes here now; and I am sure she
has never encouraged him since I gave her a hint on the subject."

Cecil remembered the scene in the Humber, and Bluebell's
suggestively-conscious face that evening, so did not rate so highly the
heroism of her friend. But the stragglers now drew round them, and they
went in to prepare for dinner.

Cecil had also kept Lilla Tremaine, for latterly she had shrunk from a
_tete-a-tete_ with Bluebell, who, sensible of their estrangement, yet
sadly acquiesced in it, as her new-born suspicions had been strengthened
by seeing Cecil receive a letter in Bertie's handwriting.