"I think, Mr. de Snobyne, you are a branch of the Earl of Fullarton's family.' 6 "No, sir,' said Mr. de Snobyne; the Earl of Fullarton is a branch of mine.' "He was a very haughty man, and it was said this mistake of the candidate lost him the vote." Lady Marchmont sniffed at her smelling bottle, and proceeded. 66 Then there are the De Snobyne's of Warwickshire, who also write their names with a y--and in Northumberland—” "Stay, my dear mother," interrupted Redwald, though very courteously; "won't the shortest plan be to beg Mrs. de Snobyn to tell us her family tree." 66 Right," exclaimed Sir Charles, gaily ; "come, my good cousin, declare yourself' under which king, Bezonian, speak or die :' assure us of your claim to our courtesies : assure us that we shall not lose caste by associating with you." "Full many a shaft at random sent How little could Sir Charles Marchmont know the meaning with which his hearer's conscience pointed the words. For one moment, one short moment, Mrs. de Snobyn weighed the possibility of her cousin's knowing nothing personally of this far off Northumberland family; but the risk was too great. Her good sense prevailed. It was with even more than her usual winningness of accent and manner, that she replied "Indeed, Sir Charles, I have no further claim on Lady Marchmont's kindness than she may be induced to yield to me as your own poor cousin. My husband assumed his present name in consequence of his accession to an estate which requires the owner to bear the family name." "Then it is a family name." Mrs. de Snobyn almost bit her lip. "Undoubtedly; but we have hardly investigated its origin." "What's in a name?" again interposed Redwald, gaily—yet kindly too, for he was very quick-sighted; "and yet there is something too, and I should like to consult your taste, Miss de Snobyn, about a name for this little creature," and he uncovered a beautiful little Italian greyhound which was nestled in a basket by the hearth "What a beautiful Helena. creature," said "I thought you had decided to call it Ariel," said his father. "I think so but I should be pleased to have Miss de Snobyn's approval of my judgment. I hope soon to see a young lady, an ancient playmate, here, with whom I made acquaintance in France: I was then on my way to Italy, and the last time we met, I promised to bring her home a greyhound--here it is. That day we had been reading the Tempest, and she was bewitched with the character of Ariel. Now I propose to call this little pet-for a pet it must be-Ariel. Do you all approve ?" The votes were unanimous: the dog's history had obliterated Lady Marchmont's memory of the pedigree; and the party separated with many cordial farewells. If Mrs. de Snobyn had a misgiving, it was relative to the lady for whom "Ariel" was intended, but the young man had called her his early playmate-and young men very seldom, very seldom indeed, fall in love with their nursery friends, so she soon dismissed that little apprehension as not worth notice. CHAPTER XVII. MRS. DE SNOBYN and her family clustered round the hearth, waiting for the summons to dinner, were discussing the adventure of the morning. Helena quizzing Lady Marchmont for the anusement of her sisters, and Mrs. de Snobyn explaining the family connection to her husband, when a little commotion was heard in the hall, the shrill and positive tones of a female voice mingled with graver sounds, remonstrances as it seemed of the men in attendance. The sounds evidently approached, but the shriller ones gained the mastery, the |