else, and had very fantastic notions besides about honour, virtue, and so on, might even coax him into giving his consent. The threatened interview, therefore, must be prevented at all hazards, and Mrs. Oliphant, after spending half the night in settling her plans, presented herself with the air of a penitent at Kate's bedside, before she was up.

'Kate!' she said, wakening her with a kiss; 'dearest Kate, I am very unhappy about what I said to you last night. Do, do forgive me.' Kate blushed divinely and, by way of embraced her very warmly.

answer,

'I am afraid I said a great deal, which I did not mean, against this attachment of yours. But the news came so suddenly on me, and, do you know, I had thought of greater things for you. Ah, well-all that is over now, darling' (Mrs. Oliphant began shedding tears; few women had them better at command), but I am sure that under the circumstances you will think no more of what I said when I was so-well, so naturally irritated; will you dear?

'O mamma,' whispered Kate, ' and you really will not oppose us?' Nay, dear; when he has actually proposed and you have accepted him, what is the good of opposing you now? Of course, I do not mean to say that I like the match, or, perhaps, ever shall like it.'

'I think you will when you know him better."

'Well, you have settled it between yourselves, and, after all, you are the chief persons concerned. We have been a very happy family, and we must not let a little thing of this kind make a breach amongst us, must we, darling?'

You cannot tell, dear mamma, how happy you have made me,' cried Kate, with a tear of joy. know I can answer for Frank,— we shall always love you.'

I

'Ah, well; one cannot have everything one's own way in the world. I should have liked to see you a nobleman's wife; but, as you will throw yourself away, I cannot help it. You have not told your uncle, I think you said?'

'No, mamma, dear,' said Kate, in dismay again. 'How do you think that would be best done? Oh, I dread doing it; and I fear Frank's speaking to him equally.'

'There is little doubt it will be a great shock to him. But, as it must be done' (here Mrs. Oliphant heaved another pretty little sigh, which called forth another affectionate kiss from Kate), 'the best plan, I think, is to wait till he is in a very good humour. If we take him at any chance time, to-day, for instance, he might fly up at once, and forbid your ever speaking to Mr. Holden again. No, he must be carefully approached and well managed, or we shall never get his consent. And all this will take time.'

'But-but Frank goes away to

day.'

'I would not mind that. You have acquainted me with the matter, so that there is nothing underhand in keeping it from Mr. Oliphant for a little while; and you and I surely understand your uncle as well as Mr. Holden does. We shall probably succeed better than he would.'

When Mrs. Oliphant inferred so plainly that she was herself an ally of the lovers, Kate was encouraged to ask with a little trepidation:

'Well, if Frank leaves without speaking to him, will you, mamma, be good enough to undertake the thing-some time? I should be very grateful if you would."

Mrs. Oliphant looked as malignantly triumphant as we may sup pose the serpent does when the poor bird has dropped fascinated from the branch.

'I' she said: 'really, well, I do

not know. But if you wish, of course I will. My doing so will be some slight reparation for my hasty speeches, dear. Yes, I will tell him if you like; but, of course, I cannot pretend to be a warm advocate of the match,-you would not expect that, and I must take my own time about speaking.'

'It would be better to tell him soon, I should think, for fear he hear from any other quarter; and, O mamma! it would break my heart if he suspected us of any deceit.' 'Oh, I will be your witness, dear, in that case; and it is not likely he will hear anything. Poor man, was ever any one so wrapped up in papers and schemes?"

his

So it was settled that Mrs. Oliphant should apprise Jabez of the engagement as soon as she had a favourable opportunity; and Kate took care to see Frank early.

'I don't like it, Kate,' he said, when she had finished her story: "I really think I had better tell your uncle myself before I go; it would be more straightforward and manly.'

'No, no, Frank: you do not know how proud he is; and now that mamma has undertaken the business, it would not be respectful to her to alter our plans; she would be offended if we did, and it is an immense comfort to have won her over.' 'Hum!'

'What language is "hum"? Carlylesque, or your Ruskinese?' 'Darling, I don't like Mrs. Oliphant, and it's no use pretending to like her; and I don't believe she'll be our friend; and I think I had better see your uncle myself, and that's all about the matter.' 'H'm!'

'And what does that mean?' 'It means, Mr. Holden, that if you do not like mamma, I do, I am determined to like her; and that I do not see why she should not be our friend when she says she will;

and that she will make a much better ambassador than you; and that that in fact you are a goose, Frank.'

'Swan, my lady means; look at me closer, and see if I.am not.' 'Be quiet, sir.'

'But as to my not making the better ambassador of the two, that is absurd. Just try me and see. I am naturally eloquent on a good subject.'

Rehearse your speech, then.' 'I would kneel low before him and take his hand.' ['You need not squeeze it quite so hard,' said Kate, laughing.] Raising it affectionately to my lips-thus-whenever I was in danger of sticking fast, Sir, I would say, you are in 'possession of a treasure which California cannot buy, yet which I expect you to give me. It is, sir, the living Venus de Medici which you have in your house,-glowing as sunrise, beautiful as noon, modest as night. The spirit that spins the gossamer wove her hair, and the Naiad who dwells by Ribblehead crisped it and curled it till it was like the wavy shallows-never say I'm not a born poet, Kate-yes, the wavy shallows of her own stream in sunshine. There were no diamonds to be found bright enough for her eyes nearer than the moon, and her cheeks were painted

'Painted, indeed!'

'Well, at least beautiful for ever with the prettiest bit of rosy sunrise from the snows of Mont Blanc. And the cheeks themselves were as soft as snow and as white, but at least if I remember them well-not cold, either of them

'Oh don't, you goose.'

'Very fair and very soft indeednearly as soft as her lips

Well, Frank, at any rate you do not adopt the usual plan of cheapening the goods you wish to buy. Do you not see that by praising the Venus so much, you will make my uncle less inclined to part with it ?'

'Ay, but hear me out. This, This, sir, is the treasure I ask of you. But I can give you nothing for it; I have neither wit, nor money, nor power, nor genius. Yet I claim this marvellous statue as my own, because it must fall, you know, to him who loves it best.'

'You are too high-flown, Frank; -I should make a better envoy myself. I would say to my uncle, Uncle, you have at length an opportunity of getting quit of me, and as it may be your last chance, I should advise you to let me go without any haggling-even if you have to give the man something handsome as well to make him take me; for you see, yourself, I have a rather poor face and a very bad temper, and I do nothing but tease and plague you all day. Think how quiet the house will be without me! As for this unlucky young fellow, who in his innocence has made this magnificent bid of nothing for me, I know he is not worth much either

'What, what? I was very complimentary to you, Kate.'

'It does not follow that I should return the compliment, sir-he is silly enough, as he says himself, and if ever he had any wits they must have been washed out of him a couple of months ago: so perhaps you will say it is not very honourable to pass me off on him without due warning. But never mind that; you consider your own comfort. Besides we shall match very well-two crabs on the same twig-and a strict course of petticoat government is just what he wants. So, Frank,' she continued, resuming her more serious tone, we must let my mother do it.' 'Darling, as you like.'

'You know you can at any time write to my uncle if we do not make satisfactory progress here. And when shall I see you again?'

'On my return from Italy, I trust; if not, I come to marry you this day two years, if I am alive.

It is your birthday, and you will be twenty-two on that day. Can you be constant as long as that?'

'I will try,' answered Kate, looking very pretty disdain at the question. 6 And you will take care that no Italian beauty enslaves you?'

'Nay, dear, whilst my heart beats, it will beat for you only. I shall count the minutes till I see you again; and when I come back I trust I shall be able to offer you something besides the hand of a beggar.'

'O Frank, have you not a sort of presentiment of coming evil? I have. I cannot repress it. I feel as if I should never see you more.' And Kate clung to him with a vague sense of terror.

You shall see me if I live, dearest, and I will write to you often. I am very sorry to go of course, but I never do feel such presentiments: I take things easily and believe that sufficient for the day is the good thereof. Try to think so, too, Kate.'

They exchanged locks of hair and a passionate embrace, and soon afterwards the artist started for London. Of course he bade goodbye very cordially to Mr. Oliphant, though he had many compunctions of conscience at leaving the house without acquainting him with his engagement, and these scruples

were increased when Jabez wished to present him with a cheque for five hundred pounds over and above his fee. You will want a good deal of money in Italy,' said the generous old man, and you will really oblige me by accepting this little memento-of course I only mean it as a memento, but it will show you in some slight measure my appreciation of your courage.' Holden, however, declined the money and wished heartily that Miss Oliphant had not been so strongly set against his speaking out; but that being so, he could only take his leave, which he did accordingly.