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The Saloon, like every other rooe and lofty, and had been furnished, possibly some twenty years earlier, in what had then been the first style of elegance This, however, had becons of penury as a ragged carpet or patched curtains, the bright brocades had faded, the paint on the panelled walls had cracked, and the gilded picture-fra since becoht have seemed that Mr Penicuik, ned the house, had fallen upon evil days; but two of the three gentlemen asse of late February were in no danger of falling into this error They knew that Great-uncle Mattheho hadthe Fen-country, was one of the warland, and sufferedthat did not adave no indication of thinking about it at all He did not, like his cousin, Lord Biddenden, level a disapproving eyeglass at a spotted er cousin, the Honourable and Reverend Hugh Rattray, co in the hearth Throughout dinner, which had been served at the unfashionable hour of five, and had been chosen (as Lord Biddenden pointed out to his brother) estive difficulties than to the tastes of his guests, he had ht have been unbroken had his cousin Hugh not addressed a series of kind and simple remarks to him, which could be easily understood, and al the Saloon, he had drifted to a chair on one side of the fireplace, where he now sat, chewing a corner of his handkerchief, and staring with an expression of vacuity at his elder cousin Lord Biddenden knew that this gaze betokened nothing but blankness of , and muttered fretfully: ‘I wish the silly felloould not stare so!’

‘He is doing you no harravely However, he picked up a book of engravings fro hi hi Lord Dolphinton, as accusto told, far less kindly, by his an to turn over the pages

Lord Biddenden said, still in that co under-voice: ‘I cannot conceive what should have prevailed with Uncle Matthew to have invited him! It is absurd to suppose that he can have an interest in this business!’ He received no other answer than one of his brother’s annoyingly reproving looks, and with an exclaan to toss over one or two periodicals which had been arranged upon it ‘It is excessively provoking that Claud should not be here!’ he said, for perhaps the seventh tilad to have seen hisilence, his lordship said with a good deal of asperity: ‘You etting my brothers, I ah: you are a cold-hearted fellow, and if you depend upon your countenance to win you a handsome fortune, you may well be disappointed, and there will all !’

‘What trouble?’ enquired the Rector, in accents which lent some colour to his brother’s accusation

‘If it had not been for my representations of what you owe to the fa!’

The Reverend Hugh shrugged his broad shoulders, and replied repressively: ‘The whole of the affair seems to me to be most improper If I make poor Kitty an offer, it will be fro and character are such as must make her a suitable wife for a man in orders’

‘Huirl his heiress, she will inherit, I daresay, as much as twenty thousand pounds a year! He cannot have spent a tithe of his fortune since he built this place, and when one considers how itof you to use a little address! If I were a single , and I a a fortune to either of my brothers!’

‘We have been at Arnside close upon twenty-four hours,’ said Hugh, ‘and reat-uncle has not yet made known to us his intentions’

‘We know very hat they are,’ replied Lord Biddenden irritably ‘And if you do not guess why he has not yet spoken, you are a bigger fool that I take you for! Of course he hoped that Jack would come to Arnside! And Freddy, too,’ he added perfunctorily ‘Not that Freddy signifies a whit more than Dolphinton here, but I daresay the old man would wish him not to be excluded No, no, it is Jack’s absence which has h, I never looked for that, and ood fortune! Depend upon it, had the opportunity offered, the girl must have chosen him!’

‘I do not knohy you should say so,’ replied the Rector stiffly ‘Indeed, I am at a loss to understand why you should be so anxious to have me offer for a lady whom you apparently hold in such poor estee wonant—’

‘Yes, well, that is !’ interrupted his lordship ‘You h, but you are not an out-and-outer, like Jack!’

‘I have no wish to be an out-and-outer, as you terard his absence or his presence as being of any particular consequence’

‘Oh, don’t sha down a copy of the Gentleazine ‘If you fancy,reat-nephews you very ammon, I do, indeed! Jack has always been my uncle’s favourite, and so you know! He means Kitty to choose him, depend upon it, and that is why he is so devilish out of hu invited any of the rest of us, upon my soul I do!’

Lord Dolphinton, who occasionally disconcerted his relations by attending to what they said, here raised his eyes from the book on his knees, and interpolated: ‘Uncle said he didn’t invite you, Georg

e Said he didn’t knohy you came Said—’

‘Nonsense! You know nothing of the matter!’ said Lord Biddenden

Lord Dolphinton’s understanding was not powerful, nor was it one which readily assimilated ideas; but once it had received an impression it was tenacious ‘Did say so!’ he insisted ‘Said it last night, when you arrived Said it again thisSaid it—’

‘Very well, that will do!’ said his cousin testily