lack of courtesy or kind feeling on her side had hastened their parting. There was too little similarity in tastes, feelings, and pursuits, to make her an agreeable companion, nor was her mind at all equal in any way to that of Maude, and thus little mutual pleasure could be derived from their intercourse, there being no single point on which they could meet on common ground.

Mrs. Grey's visits were, as Maude had predicted, the bright eras in her life, and they occurred regularly every year as had been agreed on; occasionally too she had some of the Dobrées with her, or paid pleasant visits to Luton Park. In her own neighbourhood there were none whom she could have much real friendship with, though she kept up a certain amount of social intercourse very regularly, and was a great favourite, though "peculiar;" for they were most of them of Lady Halford's style in manners and habits of feeling and acting, and few had minds beyond her calibre either.

The Procters, though very good people, and excellent sons and daughters of the Church, were so from education and habit more than from any strong feeling of their own. Their principles, though firmly fixed, were not of the high order arising from a highly cultivated intellect and sensitive mind, joined to careful training and intimate acquaintance with Church discipline and religious duties. She could go with them, or rather they with her, a certain length, and there they stopped. In short, there was no one, the Nevilles not excepted, who could, like Mrs. Grey, understand her thoroughly, while looking on things in the same light and influenced by the same views; and she missed that delightful companionship where spirit meets spirit, and the two commune with each other on equal footing, walking out and in of each other's hearts as it were, and that oftentimes without the necessity of aid from speech. Sometimes she longed for this, and thought with sorrowful regret of the days

when Mrs. Grey was always with her, and wished that they could come again.

She checked this feeling however as much as she could, as also another, which as years stole on increased upon her. The intense longing for some one whom she could love and cherish more immediately than she could the little circle at Fairford Lee. Dear as they were to her and she to them, they were not her's except in a secondary sense; they needed not, or at least not much, her individual care and protec tion; and she would have given much for one on whom to lavish the fond, devoted love that welled up in her woman's heart, more individually and constantly than in the general manner in which she could bestow it on the little Nevilles, or find a vent for it by the care of her poor and their children. Now and then the memory of Hubert and all connected with him, and their final parting returned too more vividly than usual, and made her moments of sadness very bitter. She longed to have heard more of him at the last, to know something of his child, if it were living, and something of its mother; but she had never heard of either since Lady Halford's mention of them in the letter which told her of Courtenay's death, and all her inquiries about them had proved fruitless: no one she asked knew more than the few bare facts Lady Halford had given. These feelings were her greatest griefs now, and her greatest struggle was to check and keep them within proper bounds, and patiently take the trial which accompanied her on her onward path. The cross was but a light one in comparison to many, while her blessings were great and manifold; should she not then be patient and thankful? Perhaps with nearer ties to love on earth, she might forget to garner up her first and best affections, where most and greatly they were due.

CHAPTER XXI.

"By the way, Maude, what capital condition Ford Farm is in; I rode over it the other day, and had some talk with that especial pet of yours, Mr. Sidney Evershed, and really I never saw a better managed farm, or talked to a more intelligent, well thinking person of that class. I shall begin to think you have some charm in attracting the best men for your tenants, and the most orderly for your cottagers.'

"So I have," said Maude, laughing; "try it, Ralph, and see whether it does not answer admirably."

"Nay, my dear," said Beatrice, "we must then have so many Lucy Austins located here, and I do not know what I should say to that; she was certainly the charm which settled Evershed at Ford Farm."

"Not altogether, though I confess, without knowing Lucy and something of his character, I should never have made him the offer I did; but had he had that, I believe he would have said ay very readily, had there been no Lucy in the case."

"Has he paid you your advance yet ?" asked Ralph. "No, but he would have done so long ago, only I made it my present to Lucy on her wedding day, thinking as I had brought about the match I ought to provide some dower.”

"Upon my word! no wonder you get all the best, most energetic lads in the county for tenants if that is your system, bribe them with pretty wives and good dowers, and farms at nominal rents; but I fear I might find that a losing game."

Maude laughed.

"Not if you had Sidney Eversheds to deal with ; but I would not advise you to try it generally. He has, as you say, improved the farm greatly, and would

have had me advance his rent when he had been there a few years; but I would not allow it."

"Had you advance his rent when he had it on a twenty years' lease! well, that is honesty, with a vengeance! and your Evershed must be a phoenix indeed. I give up. There cannot be a second while he lives; so I have no chance. But as to the cotters, now really, Maude, I do mean to build up better houses for the fen people, and have the land thoroughly drained-I do; I assure you, I spoke to Wilson about it yesterday, and the men are going on Monday."

Maude looked a little incredulous; but on a second serious assurance that the orders had been given, believed, and expressed her great satisfaction.

"But I don't believe I shall get as much by it as you seem to have done. Why, your women are not drunk once in a week, now; and your men hardly average one hard fight in three months, they tell me, and really they look twice as healthy."

"The last advantage your fresh building and draining will insure, in some degree, Ralph; and for the rest, I can only say, try what I have done in every way, and see if you do not succeed even better than I."

Ralph shook his head doubtingly, but said he might try, perhaps, now he had once made a beginning; and Beatrice looked a little alarmed, lest she should be required to visit them as her sister did, when the door burst open, and the two elder boys came rushing in with heated faces, and eyes full of fiery impatience. Both stopped when they saw who was in the room; Henry looked a little abashed, and St. Maur very much so, while the first exclaimed, "Aunt Maude!" in a tone half surprised, half disturbed, and the latter advanced towards her rather timidly, and said nothing. "Well, have you, neither of you, a kiss or a word of welcome for your Aunt Maude to-day ?" she inquired, smiling.

"Oh, yes," cried Henry, springing forward; "only

I was so astonished to find you here. I saw nothing of Hill or the horses, or pony either."

"No, because Hill and the horses did not come, and the pony is gone on to Ellesmere Court; but it does not seem to have been so agreeable a surprise as I might have flattered myself, especially to you, St. Maur."

The boys coloured, and St. Maur advanced close to her, but remained still silent.

"Oh, yes, aunt; only," said the elder lad, after a few moments' hesitation," only I was so angry with Walker when I came in, I could not think of anything else."

"Walker-why what's the matter with him ?" asked their father, quickly.

66

'Why, papa, didn't you tell me he was always to launch my boat for me? and the fellow had the impertinence just now to tell me he couldn't."

Mr. Neville was proud of his eldest boy, and a little so of the hot, impatient spirit which distinguished him, and spoke well for his true descent from the haughty house of Melton. He smiled now at the indignant tone in which he spoke, and still more as he proceeded,

"I told him I would have his insolence chastised, sir, and that he should know better what was due to his master from such as he."

"Well-well, Harry, but did he give you any reason? for I don't know that my permission extended to his always setting the boat afloat, and trusting only to your prudence for the times."

"Oh, but the water is quite low now, and he had nothing to say to that 'twould have been different if he had; but it wasn't even up to your mark."

"Then why did he not do it? he told you, I sup

pose ?"

66

Why," rather hesitated Harry, "he said he couldn't stop, because Hicks' wife was taken bad, as he called it, and he must go for the doctor, because all