he marriage market. In other
words, she had recently been raised to the position of Lord Winwood's
second wife; his lordship conferring on the bride not only the honors of
the peerage, but the additional distinction of being stepmother to his
three single daughters, all older than herself. In person, Lady Winwood
was little and fair. In character, she was dashing and resolute--a
complete contrast to Natalie, and (on that very account) Natalie's bosom
friend.

"My dear, one ambitious marriage in the family is quite enough! I have
made up my mind that _you_ shall marry the man you love. Don't tell me
your courage is failing you--the excuse is contemptible; I decline to
receive it. Natalie! the men have a phrase which exactly describes your
character. You want back-bone!"

The bonnet of the lady who expressed herself in these peremptory terms
barely reached the height of Natalie's shoulder. Natalie might have
blown the little airy, light-haired, unsubstantial creature over the
railings of the garden if she had taken a good long breath and stooped
low enough. But who ever met with a tall woman who had a will of her
own? Natalie's languid brown eyes looked softly down in submissive
attention from an elevation of five feet seven. Lady Winwood's brisk
blue eyes looked brightly up in despotic command from an elevation of
four feet eleven (in her shoes).

"You are trifling with Mr. Linzie, my dear. Mr. Linzie is a nice fellow.
I like him. I won't have that."

"Louisa!"

"Mr. Turlington has nothing to recommend him. He is not a well-bred old
gentleman of exalted rank. He is only an odious brute who happens to
have made money. You shall _not_ marry Mr. Turlington. And you _shall_
marry Launcelot Linzie."

"Will you let me speak, Louisa?"

"I will let you answer--nothing more. Didn't you come crying to me this
morning? Didn't you say, 'Louisa, they have pronounced sentence on me!
I am to be married in the first week of the New Year. Help me out of it,
for Heaven's sake!' You said all that, and more. And what did I do when
I heard your story?"

"Oh, you were so kind--"

"Kind doesn't half express it. I have committed crimes on your account.
I have deceived my husband and my mother. For your sake I got mamma to
ask Mr. Linzie to lunch (as _my_ friend!). For your sake I have banished
my unoffending husband, not an hour since, to his club. You wretched
girl, who arranged a private conference in the library? Who sent Mr.
Li