He admired Mr. Webber's lyrics and
recitations; and here he was coming to
dine with them on this little festive
occasion.

The clever Doctor had seen at once, with
that invariable "half an eye" of his, that
this would be an invaluable, because
independent, ally. He had very soon taken
him into his whole confidence about the
new arrangement. "You see," he said, "I
am in really a most embarrassed way about
it. I don't mind telling you the whole
case, and you will say it is one of the most
painful for me that could be. This young
man was thrown with my girls; as medical
adviser I could not help that. The attachment
then sprang up. I did all I could to
check it—warned him again and again
that there would be difficulties, of which
he could not so much as dream, from his
own family, and the like. At the same
time I said distinctly that, if he persisted,
I would not let myself or my children be
treated differently from any one of greater
rank or wealth. Never, never!"

"Nothing could be fairer," said Captain
Montague.

"Well, nothing would do, and the poor
fellow even resorted to the transparent
artifice of paying all his devores to Polly;
while all the time he was thinking of Katey.
Nothing would check him. He has formally
proposed marriage. I have a letter of his
somewhere, with it all in black and white.
As a matter of course, Mrs. Leader will
work heaven and earth to upset the
business. But I need not tell you, Captain
Montague, I shall stand by my girls. No
great family shall play fast and loose with
child of mine. It's their own doing; no
one wanted them here."

This confidence made the captain quite a
warm ally. He had rather a contempt for
young Mr. Leader, as being wholly
unintellectual, but that young man looked to
him with great awe and even admiration.
Captain Montague took an early
opportunity of speaking seriously to Cecil
Leader. He said to him that he hoped
to see him behave like a man of honour
and a gentleman, and then unconsciously
repeated the Doctor's argument. "You
know you got into this yourself, and were
duly warned by their family. If it were
a ploughman's daughter, you are bound
not to wreck the happiness of the girl;
but this is a nice, good family—at least so
I hear—one of those old Irish families,
whom the political changes of that unlucky
country have brought down. Now I hope
you don't mean to let any influence change
you?"

"Oh no, of course not, Montague; only
it is so hard. If I was let alone—but I
know there will be a row, and with them
all against me——"

"Well, what can they do to you—you
are a free agent. You are of man's estate;
nor is that the only one you have. And
they are charming girls; you might
scour half the drawing-rooms in London without
finding others like them."

Again, Captain Montague had excited
the envy of Mrs. Leader, who yearned to
know him, and almost without knowing
him, asked him to her house. He was
going to stay there, in a day or two; and
the Doctor had a suspicion that such an
ally would not be unserviceable in the
enemy's ground.

This little preliminary introduction being
whispered, as it were, while Captain
Montague comes up-stairs, he makes his entry.
He is one of these pleasant, gentlemanly
fellows, with no very special gifts, but
possessing a general, indistinct charm and
agreeability. The family were delighted
with him, so was Mr. Webber, so was his
brother-officer, who found great pride and
comfort in his reassurances, and began, at
last, to feel quite comfortable and happy,
and to be veiy proud of his future bride,
who really looked charming. On that night
Billy Webber, too, was neither boisterous
nor extravagant, but "kept the snaffle well
down," and with his plaintive and rich
tenor voice, giving out My Own, my
Sweet, Arise! quite captivated the officer.

"I could listen for ever," said Capta
in Montague. "Why if Mrs. Long, of Eaton,
only heard you, she'd travel from this to
Paris to secure you at her parties."

They had no round, romping games,
which were somehow felt to be inappropriate.
They had more songs. The Doctor
told a capital story which was like an act out
of a comedy; and then the little supper-tray
came up, and was laid on a round table
drawn out of a corner, the glasses jingling
like a chime of bells. Captain Montague
really enjoyed himself, and his presence
had, besides, that reconciling effect before
alluded to on the young hero of the piece,
who was pleased and proud that he had
shown such penetration. Walking away
with him, the captain said: "What freshness!
What nature! How different from the
washed-out insipidity of a London fashionable miss.
Those girls would be a great
success if they only got the chance."