"Oh, sit down, sit down," sai Mr Bury, who was not tolerant feelings. "Perhaps I expresse myself badly. What I meant t say was, that Mrs Mortimer, wh has been a little unfortunate i circumstances-sit down, prayhad by a singular providence jus applied to me when my sister r turned home yesterday. Thes things do not happen by chanc Lucilla. We are taken care of whe we are not thinking of it. M Mortimer is a Christian lady fo whom I have the greatest respect A situation to take the superin tendence of the domestic affairs and to have charge of you, woul be just what would suit her. I must be a great anxiety to the Do tor to leave you alone, and with out any control, at your age. Yo may think the liberty is pleasan at first, but if you had a Christian friend to watch over and take car of you-What is the matter? said the Rector, in great alarm. I was only that the poor widow wh was to have charge of Lucilla, ac cording to his benevolent intention looked so like fainting, that Mis Marjoribanks jumped up from he chair and rang the bell hastily. I was not Lucilla's way to lose tim about anything; she took the poo woman by the shoulders and all bu lifted her to the sofa, where sh was lying down with her bonne off when the Rector came to hi senses. To describe the feeling with which Mr Bury contemplate this little entr'acte, which was no his programme, would be beyon powers. He went off humbl opened the window when h told, and tried to find th -de-cologne on the table; whil homas rushed down-stairs fo ater at a pace very unlike hi asual steady rate of progress. A for Lucilla, she stood by the sid of her patient quite self-possessed while the Rector looked so foolish "She will be all right directly," Mis nd Marjoribanks was saying; "luckil she never went right off. When yo

," said ant ressed

ant to

: who

te in

ray

e just

ter re These

hance,

when

Mrs

ly for spect |

perin

Affairs,

would T. It

e Doc

with

Төп

easant ristian

te care

tter!"

n. It

w who lla, so ntios,

neral electio a borough.' Grandon; an aded, gazed ent.

hundango," rents were bot was converte

vas Juggonatl I became a cle of dear Chri bay, during n echist, with th y Society, w d in some me s into which ed, in connectio have come t and enter publi ry. I was jus ear friend here,

onising way to

66

don't go right off, lying down is
everything. If there had been any
one to run and get some water she
would have got over it; but luckily
I saw it in time." What possibit
answer Mr Bury could make to
this, or how he could go on with
his address in sight of the strange
turn things had taken, it would
have been hard to say. Fortunately
for the moment he did not attempt
it, but walked about in dismay, and
put himself in the draught with ins
rheumatism), and felt dreadfly
vexed and angry with Mrs Mor-
timer, who, for her part, now
she had done with fainting, ma
fested an inclination to ery, for
which Mr Bury in his heart of
have whipped her, had that mode it
of discipline been permitted in the
Church of England Lucilla was
merciful, but she could not help tak-
ing a little advantage of her victory.
She gave the sufferer a glass of water, thing On the wheel ong
and the eau-de-cologne to keep smarting der ne nenty f
her from a relapse, and whispered being asked to lunch, as in mater
to her to lie quiet; and then she had been, when procacy there
came back and took her seat, and might be a repetition of the scene
begged the Rector not to stand in of yesterday, he was glad to get
the draught.
risk of abandoning his enterprise.
safely out of the house, even at the
As for a woman in want of a situ-
ation, who had so little common
sense as to faint at such a critical
moment, the Rector was disposed
to wash his hands of her; for Mr
Bury, "like them all," as Lucilla
said, was horribly frightened by a
faint when he saw one, and after-
wards pretended to disbelieve in
it, and called it one of the things
which a little self-command could
always prevent. When he was
gone Miss Marjoribanks felt the full
importance of her victory; and
then, though she had not hesitated
to sacrifice this poor woman when
it was necessary to have a victim,
that moment was over, and she
the contrary, she went and sat by
had no pleasure in being cruel; on
her patient, and talked, and was
very kind to her; she made her lie
still and tell her story at her leisure.
and all about it.

re she

konnet to his

elings plated

AS DOG

eyond

ambly

en he

"I don't think she is strong,"
said Miss Marjoribanks, confiden-
tially, when she had wiled the discon-
certed clergyman back to her side,
"her colour changes so; she never
would be able for what there is to
do here, even if papa would con-
sent to think of it. For my part
I am sure I should be glad of a
little assistance," said Lucilla, "but
I never like to give false hopes, and
I don't think papa would consent;
-she looks nice if she was not so
weak, poor thing!-and there are
such quantities of things to be
done here: but if you wish it, Mr
Bury, I will speak to papa," said
Miss Marjoribanks, lifting her eyes,
which were so open and straight
forward, to the Rector's face.

To tell the truth, he did not in the
least know what to say, and the
chances are he would not have been
half so vexed and angry, nor felt
so unchristian a disposition with the

in

6

my regret a shares in view ng so prevalen d are likely antism of Grea f Ireland." ought I, "how atters! which o ads most in need a Missionary?' lighting me up to d not resist conon his two guests. of the unsound op," said I. iefield, "but he e the other. I e under my roof ticated instance rted millionaire. verted when he teen, and began en hesaw a good and went into he has realised and now is fe in England, t have done a Christian. of a Bombay into Parlia ome with nged befor cates exte lot, and th

LIBRARIES