'You and Lady Cecil have become great friends, I suppose,' continued Hugh.

Ellen shortly assented; for there was a touch of sarcasm in his tone, which Norah resented for her.

Why should they not be great friends? Lady Cecil is very bright and attractive.'

Very attractive to the world in general; but I was not so certain that she would attract Miss Kerr.'

'And why not?' Norah again inquired.

'My reasons are of no consequence, since it appears I was mistaken,' replied Hugh, briefly.

Norah just raised her eyebrows, and turned to speak to Mrs. Aymer; and in another moment Hugh forgot, or was ashamed of his irritation, and joined in the conversation. But an unfavourable impression is not so easily effaced; and among the various subjects discussed between Norah and Ellen that evening, they found time to regret, that Colonel Oliphant did not add to his other merits that of a more perfect temper. Particularly,' Ellen added, as it was impossible to see what put him out.'

One at least of his short answers became intelligible, when it appeared that, in claiming his own horse, he had not intended to exclude either Phil or Ellen from the riding party. He had hired a hack for Phil, he said, when he came to arrange the hour for their ride; and Phil was doubtful whether to resent the indignity, or be grateful for the attention.

'I might have had the pony,' he said; 'Aunt

Ellen did not care about riding; and these hired brutes are always so ill favoured.'

'I do not see that Miss Kerr is bound to sacrifice her ride to your appearance,' said Hugh, drily; and though Ellen was quite ready to do so, she did not venture to remonstrate when Colonel Oliphant had otherwise decreed. Captain Aymer was also of the party, for propriety's sake, as Norah inferred, though she herself considered his brother-in-law a staid and sufficient chaperon.

Ellen and Colonel Oliphant, better mounted than the other two, were generally a little in advance; and Ellen, who was at first alarmed by the necessity of keeping up a conversation with her tall companion, found it an easier task than she had anticipated.

'Diamond is such a dear beast,' she began, nervously.

'He makes an admirable lady's horse,' said Hugh; 'I don't think I shall ever care to ride him again myself.'

'Our rides have been the great pleasure of this visit to Brighton,' said Ellen.

'I am very glad that I have been the means of procuring that pleasure. But altogether I suppose it has been rather a bright bit of life.'

'Yes,' said Ellen, with something like a sigh; 'only I am always thinking how soon it must come to an end; and I am afraid it has spoiled me for our home life.'

6

'Is it so very different?' said Hugh.

We live quite out of society; but I do not mind that part of it. Still it is a weariness to

to think of doing the same things over and over again; I was often sick and tired enough before, and now they will be so much worse.'

'Perhaps you will not return to such monotony, said Hugh; 'you have emerged from the chrysalis state, and found your wings like other young ladies.'

6

They will be clipped at Rose Cottage,' said Ellen, with a doubtful smile.

'And after all,' continued Hugh, 'I do not think there is much to regret in the life you leave behind you. Though Mrs. Kerr thought me severe last night, I must repeat that it is a frivolous and shallow existence.'

'I do not think Lady Cecil either frivolous or shallow,' said Ellen, earnestly. 'Since I knew her at all events, since I came here- I seem to see so much deeper into life than I used to do, though I am often baffled even now. All my life I have been learning, only to find that I know nothing; and I understand as much as a blind man may do of colours, of most of the talk I hear.'

'There is often nothing to understand,' said Hugh,—there is no depth in the talk of general society, but plenty of lightness and flippancy.'

'I think you are severe,' said Ellen, courageously. 'I suppose people talk in order to be amused, and such talk is amusing.'

'It does not amuse me, Miss Kerr; nor you, as it appears.'

'It would amuse me if I were not so ignorant. Now I will tell you, Colonel Oliphant, I have been

learning accomplishments and all sorts of things all my life, and yet I cannot play even tolerably; and I have read none of the books of which people talk.'

'You must not be in such a hurry to come to perfection,' said Colonel Oliphant, only smiling at her distress. Carlyle says that the quickest and completest of all vegetables is the cabbage."

Ellen was not much consoled by the proverb; for she felt that life at Rose Cottage was a cabbage-like existence. But she was ashamed of having spoken so openly of her home troubles; and she was glad to talk of other matters.

THE

CHAPTER XIII.

At a touch sweet Pleasure melteth,
Like to bubbles when rain pelteth.

KEATS.

HE evening came at last, which Ellen had anticipated with as much delight as Norah could desire. Norah herself had declined Colonel Oliphant's offer to procure her an invitation, and this was the only drawback to Ellen's satisfaction. 'It would be so much less formidable if I could take refuge with you,' she said.

'Exactly,' returned Norah; and as the courage of despair is the only courage of which you are capable, I am determined to afford you no refuge.' Ellen laughed, and did not, even under these circumstances, look altogether desperate. Her toilette was just completed when there was an eager knock at the bed-room door, and the two boys entered, breathless and excited.

6

Such a nosegay!' Willy exclaimed, holding up a bouquet for her admiration.

'It is a precious concern,' added Phil, rubbing his hands, 'left by Lord John's servant, with his compliments.'

'I suppose,' said Ellen, with rising colour, 'that they have had flowers from Houghton Court.'

'But you have not got to the bottom of it yet,'