"We shall be delighted," Mr. Mackworth
answered for her; and the brougham drove
off.

Of course the home party were in some
excitement as to the visit at Nettlehurst;
and after service, as all gathered round the
fire, Mary was eagerly questioned and
cross-questioned. The discovery that her
unknown friend was the banker himself caused
great amusement to the younger branches,
and Mr. Mackworth gave a little sigh of
resigned surprise at the folly of youth and
womankind, when he found that even his
wife seemed more interested in hearing all
about Mr. Langley and his sister, than in
what he had to say about that beautiful
Millais, those exquisite Landseers, and that
Madonna after Sassofer Zata, which he
really almost thought must be an original.

The questions followed one another thick
and fast; but perhaps Mary's answers were
not quite so ready as usual: she described
the house and grounds with animation, and
drew a clever picture of Mrs. Lester, "a
small, sharp, pretty little woman, with a
face like a good-natured hawk;" but she had
so little to say about Mr. Langley that Harry
reproached her for ingratitude, and the fire
of family wit kindled again, reducing the
curate to fall back on one of his often
repeated and most utterly disregarded
injunctions: "My dears, do try to talk about
things; not people."

"I suppose," Cilla suggested, as the
evening drew to a close, "there is no chance
of our being asked to the Nettlehurst ball."

Mary shook her head. "Though," she
said, colouring a little and glancing at her
father, "Mr. Langley did say he hoped we
would come again."

"He was obliged to say that," Mr. Mackworth
observed; "but I certainly shall not
take him at his word: by this time
tomorrow he will have forgotten our very
existence."

"Oh, papa!" Mary looked so much
aggrieved by this speech, that her mother
glanced at her in surprise, and then said
gently: "Darling, I wish you could go to
this ball: it would be a great treat for you."

"Oh! I don't mind about that a bit,
mamma," said Mary, rallying her spirits.
"Come, Harry; you help me to go and get
the supper. It is growing quite late."

At that same moment, Mr. Langley,
sitting over his dessert with Mrs. Lester, had
just said abruptly:

"Kate, I want you to call on the Mackworths
and ask them to the ball."

"Call on them, of course I will; but as to
the ball, Vincent, I wouldn't if I were you.
Depend upon it they have no clothes for
such an occasion."

"What does that matter? Surely they
could do up a muslin gown or a something
or other of some kind," said her brother
with masculine vagueness. "Do call, Katie,
and take them a card; won't you?"

"My dear! Considering that the ball is
yours, and I'm only a guest myself, you
need not speak so imploringly," said Mrs.
Lester, laughing. "Is it necessary to call
on them to-morrow?"

"I suppose not."

There was a silence; then Mr. Langley
got up and walked to the fire-place.

"I say, Kate, I wish you would though,
if you don't mind."

"Wish I would do what? Oh! are you
thinking about the Mackworths still? Of
course, dear, I'll do exactly what you wish
about it, and about asking them too."

"And, Kate. Don't ask them so that
they feel bound to say no."

"You are wonderfully interested about
these people, Vincent," she said, looking up
at him.

"Well — isn't he an interesting man? And
I have heard so much of the good he does
at Farley. It would fare ill enough without
him, for old Lowther scarcely ever goes
near the place."

"Mr. Lowther is dying, is he not?"

"He is by way of being ill, but he has
cried wolf so often, that he is sure to live
for ever. People of that sort always do."

"I will call to-morrow," said Mrs. Lester,
rising; "and, as to the ball, though I dare
say they won't come, people like to be
asked. However, to tell you the truth, we
have quite girls enough already."

The Mackworths were spoken of no more
that evening, but Mrs. Lester thought that
she had never known her brother so silent
and pre-occupied.

  MR. CHARLES DICKENS'S FAREWELL
                        READINGS.

MR. CHARLES DICKENS will read on Tuesday,
March 30, at St. James's Hall, London; Wednesday,
March 31, Sheffield; Thursday, April 1, and Friday,
April 2, Birmingham; Monday, April 5, Tuesday,
April 6, Thursday, April 8, and Friday, April 9, Liverpool;
Tuesdays, April 13, 27, May 11, and 25, St.
James's Hall, London.
All communications to be addressed to MESSRS.
CHAPPELL. AND Co., 50, New Bond-street, London, W.