time at least; that it would be a real favour;
that they would oblige him and cheer up an old
man by their society; until these girls—what
with their grief scarcely yet abated, and not
allowing them to think much over anything—
began actually to believe this uncle of theirs,
whom they had never yet seen, was a poor lonely
cast-off man, actually pining for human company.
He made all preparations with the delicacy
of a woman, transacted matters with his
landlady for increased accommodation, and even
made out a little maid to look after their
dresses and dressing. No one was so thoughtful,
clever, skilful, and successful in managing,
as "the captain."

He kissed them as he got them home. "I
am so glad to have you both. And so this is the
little heiress?"

Her bright eyes were shooting about restlessly,
and she laughed with great enjoyment.
As soon as she had turned away again—for a new
object attracted her every moment—the other
drew Captain Diamond aside, and whispered
hurriedly:

"Don't say anything, dear uncle, about the
property to her. I'll tell you afterwards."

The captain, with a wise and almost knowing
expression, squeezed her arm. "I forgot! Leave
it to me," he said.

The captain had arranged everything at his
lodgings for the two ladies. The accommodation
was happily of that expansive kind which
would fit any number of guests; and in counsel
with his landlady, and all the time fingering his
sash purse nervously, he had entered into a
treaty for her best rooms. Though the change
was profitable to herself, she did not regard it
with much favour, and upbraided him a little
impatiently. As if, she said, he had not enough
to do to take care of himself! Ladies—relations
or no relations- were quite fit to look after
themselves. That was her idea.

The captain was getting alarmed. It would
be fatal if the landlady had prejudices against
his charges. "My dear Mrs. Wilcox," he said,
"you don't know what trouble they are in. I
don't think they have a friend now on the face
of the earth that they can ask to do a hand's
turn for them but myself. The creatures, Mrs.
Wilcox! And only think, they have a lawsuit
with it all, which has gone against them so far.
So we must be very tender with them, you see."

He had been busy, therefore, for some days
before their coming, arranging things, trying to
lay out the drawing-room, so as to have less of
an old bachelor air, and getting in a handsome
supply of all manner of stores. A little
queer quaint old garde de vin, the gift of Sir
Thomas—then Colonel—Cameron, and which lay
under the sideboard, had been replenished. This
little piece of furniture, it once occurred to
the captain, had "legs" infinitely too long,
and, fetching out his tools, at which he was very
fairly skilful, he had devoted a whole day to
laborious shortening of these limbs, and produced
a monument of amateur carpentry.

Both the ladies who had come to him called
him uncle, though only the eldest Miss Diamond
was his niece proper. The younger, Alice, was
only the daughter of a nephew. Miss Diamond
was rather tall, a little gaunt and thin,
with a staid cold manner, and a practical turn
of mind. She spoke very little, and was always
steadily engaged on some work of solid and
arduous character, from which she often looked
up to let her cold eyes settle on a speaker, and
see whether he seriously meant more than he
said. It was only when they returned to the
young girl that a tinge of softness and warmth
came into them, and she tried to modulate the
rich harsh key of her voice.

Alice was about two-and-twenty, but looked
seventeen, for she had an almost childish face
and figure. The face was pale, so oval, that,
when years came on, it would surely grow sharp
and pointed, and was edged with rather thin
hair. She had a tiny waist, and "no chest" to
speak of. Elderly maidens said that she had a
"flighty" manner, and had been badly brought
up. She had indeed a restless way of speaking,
and a pretty volubility and freedom of comment
not pleasant to "well-brought-up" elderly
persons." She was very fond of gold and silver
trinkets, and of decking herself out with laces
and such things: the whole of which was to be
laid to the account of her being spoiled by her
friends calling her "the little heiress," it being
known for several years that she was to succeed
to the great Davis property—a succession now,
alas! very doubtful.

VALENCIA SIGHT-SEEING.

THE Posada of La Belle Alliance, at Valencia,
is situated in the centre of the eastern side of
the Gran Plaza: a square which is as large as
any in London, and which looks larger, from the
surrounding buildings, except the cathedral,
being only one story high. On the left of the
Posada is an enormous mansion belonging to
Senor A., who was once secretary to the
Venezuelan government, and is something of a poet,
a philosopher, and statesman. The south side of
the square is entirely taken up by public offices
and the Government House of Carabobo, of
which state Valencia is the capital. Business is
conducted in true republican style. The council
meet in the plainest of rooms, with not one
superfluous article of furniture, and the great
"unwashed" lean on the window-sills, and stare
irreverently at the debaters. "What are they
discussing?" I asked a long lank fellow, one of
those who, cigar in mouth, were leaning against
the window. "Nothing of any consequence,"
quoth he, with a grin and an expectoration;
"only whether we shall go to war with Russia."
Not satisfied with this reply, I made further
inquiries, and learned that the matter really in
hand was no less than the ratification of the new
constitution. Even on such an occasion the
assembly seemed to me to be much less animated
than a London parish vestry, and certainly not