gh who had come to the Hill was the coach
maker's widow. I relieve your mind,--she is not; she is the widow of
Gilbert Ashleigh, of Kirby Hall."

"Gilbert Ashleigh," said one of the guests, a bachelor, whose parents
had reared him for the Church, but who, like poor Goldsmith, did not
think himself good enough for it, a mistake of over-modesty, for he
matured into a very harmless creature. "Gilbert Ashleigh? I was at
Oxford with him,--a gentleman commoner of Christ Church. Good-looking
man, very; sapped--"

"Sapped! what's that?--Oh, studied. That he did all his life. He married
young,--Anne Chaloner; she and I were girls together; married the same
year. They settled at Kirby Hall--nice place, but dull. Poyntz and I
spent a Christmas there. Ashleigh when he talked was charming, but he
talked very little. Anne, when she talked, was commonplace, and she
talked very much. Naturally, poor thing,---she was so happy. Poyntz and
I did not spend another Christmas there. Friendship is long, but life is
short. Gilbert Ashleigh's life was short indeed; he died in the seventh
year of his marriage, leaving only one child, a girl. Since then, though
I never spent another Christmas at Kirby Hall, I have frequently spent a
day there, doing my best to cheer up Anne. She was no longer talkative,
poor dear. Wrapped up in her child, who has now grown into a beautiful
girl of eighteen--such eyes, her father's--the real dark blue--rare;
sweet creature, but delicate; not, I hope, consumptive, but delicate;
quiet, wants life. My girl Jane adores her. Jane has life enough for
two."

"Is Miss Ashleigh the heiress to Kirby Hall?" asked Mrs. Bruce, who had
an unmarried son.

"No. Kirby Hall passed to Ashleigh Sumner, the male heir, a cousin.
And the luckiest of cousins! Gilbert's sister, showy woman (indeed all
show), had contrived to marry her kinsman, Sir Walter Ashleigh Haughton,
the head of the Ashleigh family,--just the man made to be the reflector
of a showy woman! He died years ago, leaving an only son, Sir James,
who was killed last winter, by a fall from his horse. And here, again,
Ashleigh Summer proved to be the male heir-at-law. During the minority
of this fortunate youth, Mrs. Ashleigh had rented Kirby Hall of his
guardian. He is now just coming of age, and that is why she leaves.
Lilian Ashleigh will have, however, a very good fortune,--is what we
genteel paupers call an heiress. Is there anything more you want to
know?"

Said