it was as well, since every day he became more convinced of the folly of his former intentions with regard to her, and saw how many and serious were the difficulties which lay in the way of their marriage.

The more, too, that he saw of Emma Harding, the better he liked her. The girl was so simple. and natural, entirely free from her cousin's love of plotting and scheming, which was not altogether to Cornelius's taste. And then the interest which she took in all that concerned him was so evident, it was so perfectly plain to the young man's eyes that she had conceived the utmost admiration for him, that it was impossible for him not to feel touched and flattered.

More than once he was on the point of going further, and of saying something affectionate to her; but habitual concealment of his feelings had grown upon him of late, and rendered him doubly cautious. Emma Harding, on her part, was not clever or designing, and had no thought of drawing him on to declare his feelings, but simply knew that she liked him extremely, better perhaps than any one she had ever met.

It was not therefore to be wondered that, at the end of a few days, Cornelius took his leave, and went back to Hazeltree without having made any further progress or done more than improve his

acquaintance with the young lady whom fate had again thrown across his path.

Emma looked a little sad for one day after he was gone, but the person who really took his departure to heart was his sister-in-law.

Mrs. Maynard was indeed thoroughly vexed this time at the failure of her plans, and made no scruple of expressing her displeasure in no measured terms to her husband.

"I declare, Edmund," she said to him, the evening after his brother had returned to Hazeltree, "I have no patience with Cornelius. What in the world he means by his behaviour I am at a loss to understand. I begin to think he's still hankering after that tiresome girl at King's Marden. If not, all I can say is that he's a born fool. And I think you're another, to sit by and let him throw away such a chance as he'll never have again in his whole lifetime."

Edmund Maynard shrugged his shoulders. He was too much accustomed to his wife's scoldings to take much notice of her indignation. At the same time, in this case he was inclined to think that she was in the right, and that for some reason or other Cornelius was really making a fool of himself.

"I don't see what good I can do," was all he replied. "Meddling in other people's business never answers. A fellow only gets more kicks than

halfpence for his pains. If I were you I'd tell him myself."

"Just like you, Edmund!" retorted Mrs. Maynard, scornfully. "But I've half a mind to give him a hint. He ought to know better than to trifle with a girl like Emma, and my own cousin, too. It's an insult to me and to her and to every one."

"Are you sure Emma cares for him?" asked her husband.

"Anybody can see that," returned Mrs. Maynard. "But depend upon it, it's all that King's Marden girl-I saw it in her eyes; ah! and in his now, for all he looked so unconcerned that day at the meet. But if he goes and marries her, all I can say is that she shall never set foot in my house, nor in yours either, Edmund, as long as I'm mistress here."

"I am your wife, if you will marry me."-Tempest.

PRS. MAYNARD'S violent denunciations

M

might have been softened had she known the channel in which her

brother-in-law's reflections were tending, as he sat smoking his pipe alone that evening in the kitchen at Hazeltree.

Ever since he had wished Miss Harding farewell, he had, with the usual perversity of human beings, reproached himself for not having availed himself of the advantages within his reach. The girl had been sorry to see him go; he had read that plainly enough in her face, although she had said so little; and he needed no one to tell him that he had displeased his sister-in-law mightily. And scarcely had he entered the house than his kind old father had greeted him with the words

"Well, 'Nelus, my lad, I'm glad to see you back,

and the more so that I've been hearing all manner of fine tales about you down in Wyndover. Twice over to-day I've been told you were going to be married, 'Nelus, and always to the same girl-that little cousin of Edmund's wife, and she's staying down yonder. And at last I began to think there must be some truth in it."

"It's my luck always to have things settled beforehand for me by other folks, I think, father," said Cornelius, with such evident ill-humour that Tom Maynard looked at him with surprise.

"Nay, my lad," he said, "I'd not have you take on about it. There's no harm done that I know of. Folks will have their say; and if it were true, there'd be nothing to be wondered at. For she's a good little thing, for all I know of her; and they tell me she has a pretty penny, too, of her own, although it isn't for the sake of her money I'd have you marry her or any one else, my boy."

These kindly words, harmless as was the speaker's intention, and innocent as he was of any wish to influence the young man's acts, were not without considerable effect upon Cornelius in his present unsettled state of mind.

It was plain that his father would approve of Emma Harding as a daughter-in-law, besides all the other advantages to be derived from a marriage