and the second footman out of the room, she turned the conversation to a less annoying topic.

"So, as I was saying, my dear Mrs. Snob-de Snobyn, you will be anxious to know how I found you out, after all these long years. It's really odd, how chances do come about. I dare say, sir, when you first set up in Budge Row, you never thought of living here."

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I never did, indeed," said Mr. de Snobyn, with a gentle shake of the head, which might have been termed melancholy, succeeded as it was, by a smothered half sigh.

"Well, as I was saying, I went to-day to call on Lady Marchmont. A good lady as ever breathed; isn't she, Mr. Snobbins."

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"I haven't the honour of knowing her," said he.

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My cousins," interposed the lady of the house," have been away a great many

years, and this morning Mr. de Snobyn

was particularly engaged, and could not accompany me in my call on them."

"Oh! Well, as I was saying, or meant to be saying, Lady Marchmont is a lady born and bred-a very old family indeedshe was a Redwald of Cheshire-people thought no small beer of in their own county, I can tell you-why, people say they've been there ever since the Saxon times-it was thought a high match, for Sir Charles-her brother, was much opposed to it at first-but they were a very affectionate family, and he'd just lost his younger sister, and that made him more tender of thwarting this one."

"I should have thought," said Helena, "from their appearance and manners, that Sir Charles was the higher character of the two."

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"Very likely you might, my dear; Sir Charles is a very noble and worthy gentleman, and of a good old family, too; but my lady has the blood, and between you and me and the post," and she leaned for

ward and whispered loud across the table, "the money too. And by the way, Mrs. Snob-Mrs. de Snobyn-isn't that a fine young man their son, I mean."

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Very much so indeed," replied she; "I never saw a young man of finer person or more engaging manners."

"Isn't he, now? and as good as he's handsome, I can tell you. Ah, Miss Helena, my dear, there's a catch for youthere's a fish worth baiting your hook for; it's something to call cousins with such a youth as that. Make the best of your opportunity, my dear, before he's seen the London belles-all young men's hearts are rather tindery, and who knows but you may light a spark in his."

Miss Helena tossed her handsome head in magnificent disdain.

"Well, well," laughed Miss Prabble, "where one won't another will. Luckily every Jack may have a Jill in this world. No harm meant, none done."

"None in the world," interrupted Oc

tavius, rather impudently; "and as sister Nell won't, what should hinder you, Miss Prabble, from trying your fate? I suppose you count cousins with this Adonis as well as mamma, don't you?"

"Me! Lord love you, you saucy jackanapes, but you deserve a cuffing, and you shall have it if I get near you. No, it's this how my grandfathers before me have been tenants on the estate these two hundred years, and my grandmother was housekeeper at the Park, and when she died, my mother was a widow, with only me, three years old. old. So she was made housekeeper, and I was allowed to run about in the house; and sometimes the old madam-we always called Lady Marchmont's mother the old madam--she sometimes sent for me into the drawing-room to amuse her; and sometimes I was allowed to play with the younger children; and sometimes to learn lessons with them-and sometimes

the young ladies were so kind as to teach me; but this was all chance work,

by nows and thens; and yet, it was enough to hinder me being made such a useful body as my mother would have made me. And so I grew up neither one thing nor another, and when my mother died I was the most feckless creature in the world as to getting my own bread, and though my mother was no extravagant body, she had not saved enough to support me in idleness, so I was in a pretty pass, you may guess. So Miss Redwald-that's my dear Lady Marchmont that now is (old madam had long been dead)-and Miss Juliana. Redwald-she was soon after a saint in Heaven said as much as that I was neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring, and that as it was their faults I had led such a useless life they were bound to make it up to me. So there and then they settled an annuity on me, and with that and my dear mother's savings, I have lived like a lady at large ever since."

"And they did very right," said Mr. de Snobyn, whose eyes were glistening; "and