bird, and he earnestly prayed that she might be happy in it.

And she was happy; so happy that she sometimes felt her happiness was too great to be lasting, and that some reverse of fortune must be in store for her. But these flights of depression only happened when John was away on his business tours, and then only during the first half of his absence, for during the second she was busy in contemplating his return, and in devising all kinds of little expedients to show how welcome he was. See her now on this bright October evening, so neatly and yet so becomingly dressed in her tightly-fitting mouse-coloured velveteen gown, fastened round the waist by a narrow black leather belt and buckle, with a linen collar round her pretty throat, and linen cuffs showing off her small white hands. She had filled every available ornament with the remnants of the summer garden produce, the last of the monthly roses, and the scarlet geraniums and calceolarias, and the earliest of the autumnal crop of dahlias, china-asters, and chrysanthemums. The air was chill without, but within the light from the wood logs flickered brightly on the plate and glass set on the snowy tablecloth, in anticipation of dinner, and the very odour of the burning beech-wood was home-like and comforting. After giving a finishing touch to her flowers in the drawing-room, and again peeping into the dining-room to see that all was right and ready, Alice would open the glazed door and peer out into the darkness, would bend her head in eager listening for the sound of wheels entering the carriage-drive. After two or three experiments her patience was rewarded. First she heard the clanging of the closing gate, then the sound of the rapidly approaching carriage, and the next minute she was in her husband's arms.

"Now come in, John, at once, out of that bitter wind," she cried, as soon as she was released, which was not for a minute or two; "it is enough to cut you in two. It has been sighing and moaning round the house all day, and I am sure I was thankful that you were coming home and hadn't to go any sea voyages or other dreadful things."

as remained, and his whiskers, were streaked with grey. The lines round his eyes

and mouth were somewhat deeply graven, and the brow was heavy and thoughtful, but his bright blue eyes were full of life and merriment, the tones of his voice were blithe and musical, his slight wiry figure, though a very little bowed and stooping, was as iron in its hardness, and when away from business he was as full of animal spirits and fun as any boy.

"I am all right, my darling," he repeated, as, after taking off his hat and coat, he went with her into the dining-room; though I know it is by no means prudent to stand in draughts, especially for people of my age."

"Now, John," cried Alice, with up-lifted forefinger, "are you going to begin that nonsense directly you come into the house? You know how often I have told you that subject is tabooed, and yet you have scarcely opened your lips before you mention it.”

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Well, my dear," said John Claxton, passing his arm round her and drawing her closely to him, "you know I have an age as well as other people, and a good deal more than a great many, I am sorry to say; talking of it won't make it any worse, you know, Alley, though you may argue that it won't make it any better."

Silence!" she cried, stopping his speech by placing her hand upon his mouth. "I don't care whether it makes it better or worse, or whether it doesn't make it anything at all; I only know I won't have it mentioned here! Your age, indeed! What on earth should I do with you if you were a dandified petit maître in a short jacket, with a little cane, or a great hulking yaw-haw fellow in a tawny beard, such as one reads of in the novels."

"I have not the least idea, Alley, but I dare say you would manage to spare some of your sweet love and kindness for me, if I were either of the specimens you have mentioned. As I am neither, perhaps you will allow me to change my coat and wash my hands before dinner."

66 That you shall do. You will find everything ready for you, and as you have had a long journey, and it is the first time of your return, I insist on your availing yourself of the privilege which I gave you on such occasions, and on your coming down in your shooting-coat and slippers, and making yourself comfortable, John, dear-and don't be long, for we have your favourite dinner."

When Mr. Claxton appeared in the

dining-room, having changed his coat for a velvet shooting-jacket, and his boots for a pair of embroidered slippers, his wife's handiwork, having washed his hands and brushed up his hair, and given himself quite a festive appearance, he found the soup already on the table.

"You are late, as usual, John,” cried Alice, as he seated himself.

"I went to speak to Bell, dear," replied John Claxton; "but nurse motioned to me that she was asleep; so I crept up as lightly as I could to her little bedside, and bent down and kissed her cheek. She is quite well, I hope, dear, but her face looked a little flushed and feverish."

"There is nothing the matter with her, dear, beyond a little over-excitement and fatigue. She has been with me all day, in the greatest state of delight at the prospect of your return, helping me to cut and arrange the flowers, to get out the wine, and go through all the little household duties. I promised her she should sit up to see her papa, but little fairies of three or four years of age have not much stamina, and long before the time of your return she was dropping with sleep."

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Poor little pet! Sleep is more beneficial to her than the sight of me would have been, though I have not forgotten to bring the doll and the chocolate creams I promised her. However, the presentation of those will do well enough to-morrow."

The dinner was good, cosey, and delightful. They did not keep the servant in the room to wait upon them, but helped themselves and each other. When the cloth was removed, Alice drew her chair close to her husband, and according to regular practice poured out for him his first glass of wine.

"Your own particular Madeira, John," she said; "the wine that your old friend Mr. Calverley sent you when we were first married. By the way, John, I have often wanted to ask you what you drink at the hotels and the horrible places you go to when you are away-not Madeira, I am certain."

"No, dear, not Madeira," said John Claxton, fondly patting her cheek; “wine, beer, grog-different things at different times.'

"Yes, but you never get anything so good as this, confess that?"

"Nothing that I enjoy so much, certainly; whether it is the wine, or the company in which the wine is drunk, I leave you to guess."

"Oh, it is the wine, I am sure! there is no such other wine in the world, unless Mr. Calverley has some himself. There now, talking of Mr. Calverley reminds me that you never have asked about Tomabout Tom, John-are you attending to what I say ?"

"I beg your pardon, dear," said John Claxton, looking upward with rather a flushed face, and emptying his glass at a draught. "I confess my thoughts were wandering towards a little matter of business which had just flashed across me."

"You must put aside all business when you come here; that was a rule which I laid down at first, and I insist on its being adhered to. I was telling you about Tom, any brother, you know."

"Yes, dear, yes, I know-you went to Southampton to see him off.”

"Yes, John; that is to say, I went to Southampton and I saw him there, but I did not actually see him off, that is see him sail, you know."

"Why, Alice, you went to Southampton for the express purpose!"

66

Yes, John, I know; but you see the trains did not suit, and Tom thought I had better not wait, so I left him just an hour or two before the steamer started."

66

"I suppose he did go," said John Claxton, anxiously; there is no doubt about that, I hope ?"

"Not the least in the world, not the smallest doubt. To tell you the truth, John, I was rather anxious about it myself, knowing that Tom had the two thousand pounds which you sent him by me, you dear, kind, good fellow, and that he iswell, perhaps not quite so reliable as he might be—but I looked in the newspaper the next day, and saw his name as agent to Calverley and Company among the list of outgoing passengers.'

"Did he seem tolerably contented, Alice ?"

66

Oh, yes, John; he went away in great

spirits. I am in hopes that he will settle down now, and became a steady and respectable member of society. He has plenty of talent, I think, John, don't you?"

"Your brother has plenty of sharp, shrewd insight into character, and knowledge of the wickedness of the world, Alice," said Mr. Claxton somewhat bitterly; "these are not bad as stock-in-trade for a man of his nature, and I have no doubt they will serve his turn."

"Why, John," said Alice, with head upturned to look at him more closely, "how

fulness which is foreign to your nature, but confess at once."

"I decline to confess any such thing," said Alice. “Of course, I was in the habit of being stared at by the officers and the young men of the town. Come now, there is the return blow for your impertinent hit just now; but one scarcely expects to create an impression on people whom one finds glozing over bookstalls."

66

Elderly people, you should have said, Alice."

"Elderly people, I will say, John, if it pleases you. Much less does one expect to see them lay down the book, and come sailing up the street after one in direct pursuit."

"Oh! you saw that, did you, miss? You never told me that before!"

"Saw it, of course I saw it. What woman ever misses anything of that kind? At a distance you tracked me straight to Mr. Preston's door, saw me and my little charges safely inside, and then turned on heel and walked away." your

"While you went up to your room and sat down before your glass, admiring your own charms, and thinking of the dashing young cavalier whose attention you had just

attracted. Was that it ?" said John.

"Nothing of the sort, though I don't mind confessing that I did wonder whether I should ever see you again! And then, two days after, when Mrs. Preston told me to take the little girls into the drawingroom in the evening, and to be sure that they practised thoroughly some piece which they would be called upon to play, as there was a gentleman coming to dinner who doted on little children, how could I have the slightest idea that this benevolent Mr. Claxton was to be my friend of the Low Ousegate bookstall? And yet you scarcely spoke to me once during that evening, I remember!"

"That was my diplomacy, my child; but I paid great attention to Mrs. Preston, and was very favourably received by her."

Yes, I heard Mr. Preston say to Mr. Arthur, as they stood behind the piano, 'He's of the house of Calverley and Company of Mincing-lane. Thee hast heard of it? Its transactions are enormous.'"

"And I won Mr. Preston's heart by a good order for wine," said John Claxton; "and then I threw off all disguise, and I am afraid made it clear that I had only made his acquaintance for the sake of paying court to his governess."

"You need have very little delicacy in

that matter, John," said Alice; "neither Mr. nor Mrs. Preston had the slightest interest in me, and when I left they cared not what became of me. I suited them as a governess, and they were angry when I first told them I was going away; but when they saw that I had fully made up my mind, their sole thought was how best to supply my place. As to what became of me, that was no concern of theirs."

"No," said John Claxton, whose colour had returned, and who seemed to have regained his ordinary composure, no concern, perhaps, of either Mr. or Mrs. Preston; but what about the young gentleman whom you mentioned just now, Alice, Mr. Preston's nephew, Mr. Arthur, as he was called? Your decision as to the future course of life you intended to adopt was not quite so immaterial to him, was it, child?"

"What do you mean, John ?" said Alice, looking down, as the blood began to mount into her cheeks.

"You know well enough what I mean, child; exactly what I say. Mr. Arthur Preston took great interest in you-was in love with you, in point of fact-is not that so ?"

"He said so, John; but his actions belied his words. No man who had any real, honest love-nay, more, I will go further, and say respect for a girl-could have spoken or acted towards me as he did.”

Why, Alice," said John Claxton, looking with surprise at her flushed cheeks, you never told me anything of this before. Why have you kept it secret from me?"

"Because I know, John," said Alice, laying her hand upon his shoulder, "that however outwardly calm and quiet you may appear to be, however sensible and practical you are in most matters, you have a temper which, when anything touching my honour or my dignity is involved, is quite beyond your control. I have seen its effects before, John, and I dreaded any repetition of them."

"Then why do you tell me now?"

"Because we are far away from York, John, and from Arthur Preston and his friends, and there is no likelihood of our seeing any of them again, so that I know your temper can be trusted safely now, John; for however much it may desire to break out, it will find no object on which to vent itself."

"This conversation and conduct then of Mr. Arthur Preston were matters, I am to understand, in which your honour and dignity were involved, Alice?"