turned from her foreign travels, sat in the drawin

antiquities and art. She had learned some French and Italian, for nothing was grudged to her in the way of masters, and worked at music, for which she had a natural taste. She had seen a

peerage. He was a very agreeable as well as an accomplished and wealthy man, and-he fell in love with Barbara. With the cleverness of her sex she managed to put him off and to avoid any actual proposal before they left for Switzerla

rles Russell was confirmed. Was it not clear that there had been no proposal, although it was equally clear that

rrival in London, when, most unhappily, Lady Thompson went out to

sign that he evidently considered hopeful, setting it down to the emotion which his sudden presence caused. To emotion it was due, indeed, but not of a kind he would have wish

arbara noticed an ominous twinkle in the ple

t she was the only woman he had ever loved with such force and conviction that in the end she almost believed him. But this belief, if

r, did he consent to believe her, for indeed he

e for someone else

ose back, metaphoricall

much more-

and not distinguished and has al

hange his m

Barbara. "Very likely I shall not marry

n's name,

d be a sacrilege

Mr. Russell

rable respect," he said in a somewhat broken voice, and taking her hand he touch

of a thunderstorm. She shut the door, locked it, and sat down in an arm

I hear from

you have heard from Mr. Russe

well what there was to hear,

mured Barbara

were-rubbish. And it is ungrateful to throw away the chances that a

ll, I think h

ight yet be well. Perhaps this refusal was nothing but nonsensical m

you shall

t, that I will

o the Church of Rome, and are you going

, Au

ture. "And how did you manage to become entangled with him, you sly girl, under my very nose? And who is he? O

never seen, Aunt. One of

ich Sir Samuel never held by. Of course, it is nothing like the Russell match, which would have made a peeress

rnott, it is his you

r brought no money to the Arnotts. Oh, this is too much! To throw up Mr. Russell for an Anthony. Are you engaged to him with your parents' consent

twich, or they would have told you. My father made me promise that we would not correspond while I was away, as he thought tha

my sister after her own performance, for which doubtless she is sorry enough

Aunt," replied Barbara, whose spirit was ris

the point. Will you give up this

ness, whatever that may be,

return to your parents, to whom I will write at once. You have betrayed my hospitality and presumed upon my kindness; after all the things I have give

ecklace and offered it t

use I happen to have given them to you? Keep them, they may be useful one day when yo

I am sorry that I am not able to do as you wish abou

rt. Still, I rather admire your courage. I wonder what this young fellow is like for whose sake you are prepared to lose so much; more than you think, maybe, for I had grown fond of you. Well, good-bye, I'll see about your getting off. There, don't th

ar of a suitor whom she did not wish to marry, and of an aunt whose very kindness was oppressive and whose temper was terrible. She had fifty pounds in her pocket and a good stock of clothes, to say nothing of the pearls and other jewellery, wealth indeed if measured by the Walrond standard. Her beloved sisters were evidently in the best of health and spirits; a

f them holding one of her hands, for they could scarcely bear her out of their sight. She had told all the tale of the Hon. Charles Russell and of he

lso become an ambassador, was a prospect that at heart he relinquished with regret. Also this young Arnott business seemed very vague and unsatisfacto

fe took an

ra is a woman now. Once, you remember, I had to face something of the same sort, and I do not

solemnly kissed each o