cleverness a mere calumny, and grandpapa was
delighted with her the first moment. How well I remember Geoffrey's
coming home and thanking us for having managed so well as to make her
like one of the family, while the truth was that she had fitted herself
in, and found her place from the first moment. Now came a time of grave
private conferences. A long engagement which might have been very well
if the general had lived, was a dreary prospect now that Beatrice was
without a home; but then your uncle was but just called to the bar,
and had next to nothing of his own, present or to come. However, he
had begun his literary works, and found them answer so well, that he
believed he could maintain himself till briefs came in, and he had the
sort of talent which gives confidence. He thought, too, that even in
the event of his death she would be better off as one of us, than as
a dependent on the St. Legers; and at last by talking to us, he nearly
persuaded himself to believe it would be a very prudent thing to marry.
It was a harder matter to persuade his father, but persuade him he did,
and the wedding was at Knight Sutton that very summer."

"That's right," cried Fred, "excellent and glorious! A farthing for all
the St. Legers put together."

"Nevertheless, Fred, in spite of your disdain, we were all of opinion
that it was a matter of rejoicing that Lord St. Leger and Lady
Amelia were present, so that no one had any reason to say that they
disapproved. Moreover, lest you should learn imprudence from my story,
I would also suggest that if your uncle and aunt had not been a couple
comme il-y-en a peu, it would neither have been excellent nor glorious."

"Why, they are very well off," said Fred; "he is quite at the head of
his profession. The first thing a fellow asks me when he hears my name
is, if I belong to Langford the barrister."

"Yes, but he never would have been eminent, scarcely have had daily
bread, if he had not worked fearfully hard, so hard that without the
buoyant school-boy spirit, which can turn from the hardest toil like a
child to its play, his health could never have stood it."

"But then it has been success and triumph," said Fred; "one could work
like a galley-slave with encouragement, and never feel it drudgery."

"It was not all success at first," said his mother; "there was hard
work, and disappointment, and heavy sorrow too; but they knew how to
bear it, and to win through with it."

"And were th