was, it must have yielded to the grace and
beauty of the stranger. Mrs. Brook, too,
could not but be struck by the improvement
in her brother's appearance, and she was
grateful to her who had effected it ; for,
though a worldly woman, she was not
deficient in natural affection. Sir Edward was
her only brother, the head of her family, and
she almost forgot poor Ann when she gazed
on his renovated form, and saw the tender
pride with which lie watched the movements
and listened to the words of his young
wife.

The appearance of the child awoke the
train of old recollections in the mind of his
aunt, and when she had admired his growth
and caressed his fair long hair, she could not
refrain from whispering to his father :

"How like poor Ann !"

Lady Irwin caught the whisper ; her lip
quivered, and the colour deepened in her
cheek ; she drew the child closer within the
circle of her arm, and said softly—"I think
him so like Edward."

"So he is," returned Mrs. Brook. "He is
like Edward about the nose and mouth ; but
he has his mother's eyes."

It did not please Lady Irwin that the
child's eyes were so large and tender.

"They are very beautiful," she said, with
an anxious, half fearful look at her husband ;
but there was no sorrowful recollection in his
countenance—nothing but present love and
happiness.

"You can form no idea, Fanny, of what a
mother Frank has in this dear little sister I
have brought you. I cannot understand it,
such a child as she is. Well might the poet
say

???????? ??? ??? ?????????? ?????” *

*  The love of children is a woman's instinct.

"What ! you haven't cured him yet of his
abominable habit of quoting what nobody
can understand, Helen ?"

"O no ! I don't wish to do it, either.
You will laugh at us, I dare say, when I tell
you that he is to give me regular lessons
when we get home. I know a little Latin
already, but not enough to be of any use.
We have arranged our occupations for the
winter. Edward's wife ought not to be a
smatterer, you know."

"But I hope you are not going to let him
bury you and himself down at Swallowfield.
It was bad enough before, but to hide you
in the country would be a crying scandal
indeed."

"O, we have not the smallest intention of
doing anything of the kind—have we,
Edward ? Do not alarm yourself, dear Mrs.
Brook, I am quite as fond of society as you
can desire."

"Well, that's some comfort. I only hope
and trust that you do not intend to lay
yourself out for a literary lady ; that will do
some twenty years hence ; at present it would
be a positive sacrifice. I am not sorry that
you are only passing through town now ; it
would not have done to take off the gloss of
your debût by appearing at the end of the
season."

"O no ! that would be an improvidence
indeed," returned Helen, laughing. "I haven't
tired Edward out yet, and we intend to live
demurely and properly this winter, that I
may come out span new with country cheeks
next spring. We are going home to-morrow.
It sounds so strange to talk of going home to a
place one has never seen, but I almost seem
to know it, I have made Edward tell me so
much about it, from the lime avenue by
the river side to the old oak cabinet in his
study. I shall soon know the ways of the
house, and then I hope you will come and
see us."

"That's a very civil speech of yours, my
dear," said Mrs. Brook, in high good humour ;
"and you may trust to my discretion not to
break in upon you too soon. But what do
you say to leaving me the boy for the
present ?  I will take great care of him, and my
girls will be nice playmates for him."

This invitation was declined with thanks,
but with a haste which showed that neither
Sir Edward nor his wife were inclined to
forego the pleasure each derived from the
presence of the child. Perhaps Mrs. Brook
had given the invitation to test the real state
of her sister-in-law's feelings towards her
little nephew ; certainly she did not seem
displeased that it was not accepted, and took
her leave, enraptured with the bride, and
perfectly reconciled to her brother.

CHAPTER III.

A FEW weeks saw Sir Edward Irwin and
his lady established for the winter in their
handsome country mansion. When the pleasant
task of showing his estates to his wife
was over, and the excitement of returning in
joy to the home which he had left in sorrow
and weakness, had subsided, Sir Edward
resumed his old, but long interrupted pursuits ;
and his wife, true to her intention, entered
on a course of study which should enable her
to share them. Nor did her energies flag
after a few weeks of strenuous exertion ; her
mind, vigorous and enquiring, demanded a
pursuit which called its powers into action,
and her proud spirit rose with the difficulties
which presented themselves. Her husband
smiled at her eagerness, and was delighted
at her intelligence ; so that the hours he
spent in assisting her in the severe studies
she undertook, were the pleasantest of his
day.

And Lady Irwin was happy. Her husband
had no thought beyond her, the boy throve
and loved her ; but yet her happiness was
not perfect. Mere passion never brings
happiness ; it is of the earth, earthy, and bears
the elements of corruption in itself. The love