sadness to-night, my own Violet, my beautiful, beautiful Violet;
you quite dazzle me, my child. I really can't sit by your side; come,
let me sit on your foot-stool here, and look up in your face."

"Silly boy," she said, "come along, we shall keep them all waiting for
supper."

While poor De Vayne languished on the bed of sickness, his sufferings
were almost the only shadow which chequered the brightness of those
weeks at Ildown. In the morning, Julian and Kennedy worked steadily;
the afternoon and evening they devoted to amusement and social life.
The Kennedys soon became great favourites among the Ildown people, and
went out to many cheery Christmas parties; but they enjoyed more the
quiet evenings at home when they all sat and talked after dinner round
the dining-room fire, and while the two boys played at chess, and Violet
and Eva worked or sketched, Julian and Kennedy would read aloud to them
in turns. How often those evenings recurred to all their memories in
future days.

Soon after the Kennedys had come, Julian received from Camford the
Christmas college-list. He had again won a first class, but Kennedy's
name, much to his vexation, appeared only in the third.

"How is it that Edward is only in the third class?" asked Violet of
Julian--for, of course, she had seen the list. "He is very clever--is
he not?"

"Very; one of the cleverest fellows in Saint Werner's."

"Then is he idle?"

"I'm afraid so, Vi. You must get him to work more."

So when he was seated by her on the sofa in her little boudoir, she
said, "You must work more, Edward, at Camford, to please me."

"Ah, do not talk to me of Camford," he said, with a heavy sigh. "Let me
enjoy unbroken happiness for a time, and leave the bitter future to
itself."

"Bitter, Edward? but why bitter? Julian always seems to me so happy at
Camford."

"Yes, _Julian_ is, and so are all who deserve to be."

"Then you must be happy too, Edward."

His only answer was a sigh. "Ah, Violet, pray talk to me of anything
but Camford."

The visit came to an end, as all things, whether happy or unhappy, must;
and Julian rejoiced that confidence seemed restored between him and
Kennedy once more. Of course, he told Violet none of the follies which
had cost poor Kennedy the loss both of popularity and self-respect.
Soon afterwards Lord De Vayne was brought back to Other Hall, and Violet
and Julian were invited, with their mother, to stay there till the
Camfo