but why need they lounge and saunter, sufferable; and by dint of volubility, and turn aside at every opportunity, and flattery, and persuasion, succeeded in finally sit down to rest by the way-the disarming both, and inducing them to fix two great hulking fellows? It was but upon an early day for his brother's initoo obvious that they were being driven tiation. They must make it to-morrow. against their will that had it not been Why should it not take place to-morrow? their first day, and there was no excuse Even Cecil was surprised to see the man handy, they would have evaded the expe- who had been so loath to come, so eager dition. Oliver scuds off after a rabbit, to return, not reflecting that it was in the Anthony cheering him on; they investi- passing moment the gay soldier lived, and gate a well, they drink from a spring; that in the pursuit of pleasure he could finally both leave her to examine a blasted even be industrious. It was chiefly to piece of rock half-way up the hill. Anthony, indeed, that blame was due, and Anthony was at least consistent; he accepted the invitation, but he did nothing to extort it. At length, however, and by dint of patience and urgency combined, the entrance gates are reached, and the toils of the journey are at an end. So she hopes fondly, but stay a bit. "I say, Cis." "Well?" "Anthony and I are just going down to the shore to see about getting a fisherman for to-night. Anthony has never seen the sort of sea-fishing they have here. You go on, and we will overtake you." "Overtake me! We are close at hand." "Go in, then, and say we are coming." And come they did, after every one had gone out but Éleanour. The visit was a failure. After an hour's waiting, Eleanour, not without some sense of outraged dignity, had sent her sisters away, and intrenched herself in solitary state to receive the recusants. Her pretty goods should not remain for such tardy appreciation, should not have it supposed that the enforced civility of any guests of Cecil's brothers or not - was grateful to them. She had the color in her cheek and the sparkle in her eye when the drawing-room door opened at last; and her answer to Oliver's hasty quest round the room, was a grim smile of satisfac tion. For Oliver, now that he was actually there, was alive to the merits of the situation; and he had, moreover, caught a view of an excellent croquet lawnthe days of croquet were not yet ended as he passed through the shrubbery; it was enough to kindle desire. He was a renowned player, as he was everything else that was useful and captivating, and if he could have got Anthony even, for an antagonist, would have challenged him on the spot. But it appeared that Anthony had not only never played, he had actually never seen the game. This was insufferable. Oliver appealed to Eleanour, to Cecil, if it was not in However, the players kept him to his word. It is to be presumed that he tried to learn; that he did seriously incline his ear to the counsels of the wise; but he made a sad hash of it, nevertheless. So much was taken for granted; so many points was he expected to bear in mind at once; and such a number of rules and regulations were dinned into his ear at the same time, that he must be pardoned for giving up the attempt, and retreating in mortification to the old-fashioned sundial among the bushes, where Eleanour was mounting guard. rear From this retreat he viewed the combatants with no very good will. They had speedily and he fancied joyfully ranged sides; and he could tell by the general alacrity and expectation, the preparatory collecting of balls and testing of hoops, the whole stir and bustle consequent on his departure, that a well-contested match was to be played. He was no loss indeed he must have been an intolerable drag. His going admitted another sister to play, and enabled all to let out their strength and show their skill. - Altogether he was well out of it. Away went Oliver, carrying with him his partner Kate, from right to left, from centre to side, clearing the route of all opponents' balls, and placing them delicately for future use, in the style of a master of the craft. It seemed as though he were to walk the course; but he slipped, missed an easy stroke, and in a trice the tables were turned. It was now his turn to be chased from hole to corner by an unsparing foe; and to find himself and his fair partner lodged at extreme ends of the lawn, hopelessly disunited. So much for Julia, but Kate could play too. A lucky shot regained, as by magic, the lost position, and cleared the coast. Why should her slender fingers have trembled at that critical mo d She thought she understood, and was not ill-pleased. ment? Pure eagerness, not even anxiety, | at it The adversaries shouted, and the striker stood still; but Oliver rushed to the rescue. By turns appealing, quoting, arguing, he maintained his position till all had gathered round; and the merry voices rose and fell by turns, interspersed with soft and pleasant laughter. So gay they seemed that "it is a nuisance to be out of it altogether," reflected the elder brother, morosely. "Makes a fellow feel rather small." Then he essayed to explain to Eleanour how it came to pass that he was so ignorant. "I have not been in this country for six years; and though I have heard of this, I never came across any people who played." "You will find a rage for it everywhere this summer." "Oh, I shall play, I suppose; I shall get into it by-and-by. Are you a great hand?" "I? Oh no," said Eleanour, with a faint smile; "I know no more of it than you Naturally he did not enjoy being left out in the cold; and she did her best to restore his self-complacency under the ordeal; and then at last Puss and Dot were tired of being umpires, and came to join the idlers. That did better, and they all went into the house shortly, and candles were brought, and there was music. It was evident that Oliver was destined to shine as much at the piano as on the lawn. Cecil, who had enjoyed her croquet, being as good a player as any, now retreated to the sofa and the society of her father-in-law, but Oliver was again in the front ranks of the performers. He bad a sweet, rich voice, the very voice to go with Kate's clear soprano, and duets were chosen. "Awfully nice, is it not?" said Anthony, presently; but somehow he did not look as though he found it so; he was frowning and silent, and the cheek which he rested against the soft cushion of his chair, was turned from the singers. "I say," called his brother, probably in obedience to a suggestion, "Anthony, come and take a part.' "Take a part? No, thank you, I can't." Take a part indeed! He had never taken a part in his life! Talking of taking a part as coolly as though it were taking a header or a fence! 66 He laughed, but his laughter was rather unmirthful; and there was a momentary silence. "It is a pity," said Cecil to herself; "Don't you like being sung to?" But why, if he did, did he rise the next minute, and throw himself half out of the open window beside which Eleanour sat, just behind a silver streak of moonlight? He was not thinking that he liked being sung to. I fancy his meditations were rather of this sort: "What an ass a fellow makes of himself when he can't do anything to help off an evening! If it is to be always like this when I go anywhere, I had better stay at home. This girl, this widow, is laughing at me in her sleeve, I suppose. My ill-luck has sent | be absolutely unable to take part in any- Oliver was so clever, so handy, such a favorite, that it was really almost a pity that he should have no Blatchworth to make it possible for him to become a favorite to any purpose. He would, to be sure, have been puzzled which fair one to besiege, such was his devotion to all; Kate sang his songs, Julia used his pencils, Puss wore his cricket-ribbon, and Dot played with his mallet; but that difficulty could have been overcome; and for a penniless younger son who could do no more, he was certainly right to mete out his attentions with such admirable impartiality. Why with half his susceptibility, was he not Anthony; or why could Anthony not catch a spark from the flame? So cold, or so cautious, which was it? It was beautiful, it was delightful. He bethought himself of other such scenes he had witnessed,― of nights beneath the starry skies of Egypt, or amid the gorgeous forests of Cashmere, of the peace of great wildernesses, and the solemn stillness of mid-ocean. In a pause of his reverie came the clash of a chorus from within, and it sounded a discord intol-am not sorry. erable. They did not sing to please me; and I would very much rather they had not sung at all. It spoilt my evening." "What did you want to do?" Nothing, watch the moon." "I saw you; but that is Eleanour's prerogative, poor dear. She won't be grateful to you for disturbing her." "I did not disturb her; and she did not disturb me." "No; you appeared to hold no communication. But still, I do assure you, she would prefer your going off with the others." "But if the others go off without me?" "Oh, now," thought she, "I understand." But she must really find out something that he could do that he could like to do. Even of shooting he owned that he could have enough, and so far well; but it was absurd that he should "Quite anti-matrimonial, anyway," said Alexander, rubbing his hands in the plenitude of his satisfaction. "Your plans have come to nought, Cecil; and since it is so, I may say, I suppose, that I for one Not but what I like your brother. He is a queer fellow, and no trouble at all in a house; but I should not have cared for people to have had the chance of saying we had had him here in order to knock up a match." He had thought of this too late. Had it occurred to him sooner it would, he now reflected, have been an unanswerable reason for excluding Anthony from Crichton. However, it was as well, perhaps, after all, that the thing should have been got over. Cecil would have given him no peace; and, as matters had turned out, he was not sorry on the whole that she should be quieted so effectually. Nothing but this brother's presence and indifference would have knocked her care for his welfare on the head; but now she would perhaps see that he might be trusted to look after it for himself. Neither did his guests annoy him. The rattle of Oliver was harmless; and, so far from Anthony's engrossing the conversation, he needed to be drawn out to make him talk. "Eleanour is the only one who can do it," continued Alexander, having remarked on this to his wife. "He shirks the others, I think. He is over there now," it was in the afternoon, "and they are all four gone off riding with Noll." Reading to Eleanour under a tree." 'Reading to Eleanour!" said Cecil, laughing. 'Well, it is a good thing he has Eleanour to read to. The girls would C e "Not I. I walked past, and they never saw me. I was right under their noses." 'They would think you very rude, I am afraid." "Nonsense! How could they think me rude when I tell you they never saw me? Now, come out yourself; you and I won't waste so fine a day reading under trees, anyway." Anthony had explained it all satisfactorily on his first appearance at the castle. He never rode when he could walk; he had walked over to keep his brother company; and now might he stay? "Yes, I got him here," added Oliver, triumphantly; "but he is too lazy to go back. Pray be merciful, and don't turn him from the door." It was quite a good thing that Eleanour was at home, for now they felt no difficulty about all the other sisters going for the ride; and all four were equipped and waiting, never having dreamed of Anthony's paying a visit that day. Eleanour was going to sit under the oaks. He thought she would; he knew it was her favorite seat; and if he would not be in her way, if he would not disturb her, he had something in his pocket, he was very anxious to-to- He was awfully ashamed of himself; he was afraid it would only bore her. She thought she was never to find out what was the meaning of such stammering and blushes. A At last, however, all was plain. packet was produced, and it appeared that it contained an original manuscript; something he had once written, scarcely with a view to publication, more as a vent for his own ideas on the subject, than for any other purpose. Still he yearned for an opinion on its merits, and hers was the first he had ever been able to make up his mind to seek. She could not but be flattered, interested, eager, now that she understood the honor bestowed on her. What would it ed prove? Would it be good? Would it be worthy her praise? Would it be worthy of more than hers? rt All alacrity and expectation, she gave her assent, and threw herself on the turf to listen. How now? Where is flown the austere, stately Eleanour, whose measured tread appalls the timid stranger, and whose calm serenity rebukes the frivolous? The abandon of the move ment, the flash of her eye, have transfigured Anthony's auditor; and none of this is lost on him. He finds in the moment a wondrous fascination. He experiences a strange charm in making this companion the first recipient of his hidden delights. They have solaced him in his rough hut on the prairies, and accompanied him to his hammock on the broad ocean; escaped perils by sea and land; but never been submitted to mortal eye or ear, till now. Of all people in the world, he is the least likely to be suspected of such pursuits. Why, he cannot even act a charade, or bellow a chorus! Why, Oliver has done more than one neat little thing for the papers, and it was he who was chosen to send up that capital account of the football match, which was thought so well done, you remember? Cecil sent for six copies; and the housemaids were not allowed to have them till after they had lain for months on her boudoir shelf. But no one would ever ask Anthony to indite even an advertisement. His letters are nothing, and he doesn't tell you things, even Alexander is forced to admit that he never knew a fellow so free from travellers' tales, - so that though Eleanour was not surprised that he could, she was amazed that he should, write. And had it been possible, he would now almost have drawn back from the plunge, though standing on the brink. Even with this long, lazy afternoon before him, every barrier withdrawn, and Eleanour by his side, he hums and haws and hesitates. "Now do go on." She has to implore at length. "Shall I really?" "Yes, really. I am waiting." "You must not be hard on me." "I shall be, if I get the chance." "You "Oh, if that is the case," says Anthony, joyously, "I don't mind. I am prepared to endure. If you will only be sincere "Sincere!" cried Eleanour. shall see." She was quite out of herself in the excitement, quite vexed at the delay. "Upon my word," thought he, "this is uncommonly nice." And it proved nicer still, as the time went on. The girls were astonished to find the pair still under their leafy canopy on their return; albeit the sun was sinking fast on the western horizon. "What did you do with him, Eleanour?" "I did nothing. He read to me." ately. "Rather stupid on a day like this. | sharply, "Do you understand what these We have had such a ride! I like Antho- things mean?" ny very well, but it is a pity he has not "Not much." more spirit; now, he missed a great deal by not being with us, you know.' Perhaps," said Eleanour, smiling, "he did not think so. Give him credit for knowing his own mind, at least.” "But I never can get him to say he cares about anything." "He does not care for the things that you do." "Is he not hard to get on with?" "Not at all. I never met with any one so easy." "Well," said Puss, plaintively, "he never takes any notice at all of me. On Sunday I said something to him, and he just rushed past to get on to Eleanour, and walked off with her as hard as he could go. It seems as if all he cared for was to get out of the way of us girls.” "And then he hangs on to poor old Nell!" said Dot. "Do you like them? "Not at all." "Did you ever find out one?" "Never." The others, busy with their pencils and dictionaries, did not see the smile which chased away the cloud at this confession; and perhaps it was as well. One day he said to her, referring to the gay-colored group collected round his brother - Oliver was showing them a new way of eating melons "A pretty mixture of color that, taken as a whole; but, to my mind, any woman who can, should always wear black." Of course she was pleased, it was impossible to disassociate the words from the look with which they were accompanied, and Eleanour was but human. She heard the rest of the reading on the same day there being nothing to prevent her doing so. The young ones were presently shouting over their game, and made such a noise that it was the most natural thing in the world for the sober They quite pitied her; especially when it came out that she had had no walk, and no visitors, and no interruption of any kind; and that it was only their own reappearance which had broken up her tête-minded to retreat out of hearing; and à-tête with the formidable bore. But he went home triumphant. He had seen his hearer aroused, attentive, captious, and subdued by turns. He had seen her fine eyes shining through invol untary tears, and had felt the pressure of her hand on his arm, and had heard her voice sending him forth to conquer. It had all been infinitely more than he had dared to hope for. Ah, if others were to think as she did! The lust of fame took hold upon him, and he trembled lest so newly found a delight should vanish into thin air, should prove but a passing dream. He must make it surer, firmer. He must have more certain grounds for his elation. Accordingly he was all impatience for such another afternoon; and one coming soon after, bright enough to tempt the riders forth again, he hurried over. Alas! the day was too hot. In vain he hinted at exhilarating motion and mountain breezes; the idea did not find favor. In short, there was something new going on. What was it? Acrostics. then it was too hot to go anywhere but under the oaks, where there was always the salt smell of the sea, even if there were no breeze to fan the branches. At five o'clock only, they were hunted out, the precious document being then well out of sight; and no one thought of asking how their afternoon had been spent. Anthony said it was time to go home, but did not go; and finally they stayed till it was dusk; and could hardly then be got away. "But nothing has come of it," sighed Cecil, giving up at length the ghost of hope. She had watched, and hinted, and kept away when not wanted, and stepped forward when the breach needed filling up, and done everything that fond and valorous champion could do to bring about an understanding, but with no result. Nothing, she was fain to confess, had come of it; and nothing was likely to come of it. The provoking part was, that the persons chiefly concerned seemed one and all most excellently satisfied; even Eleanour, her own dear sensible Eleanour, who might have been reckoned on to see the pity of it,- even she let fall not a syllable of dejection. It had been Cecil's original scheme certainly; but Eleanour had pledged her participation in it by that smile, and now |