not on that where the morning sun glared on her face, and the fresh sea-wind despoiled her best artificial curls, and all the affluence of light, and air, and life told her, with the coarse ill-breeding of nature, how old, and weak, and sunless she, Thalia Tudor, was! She could care for Colonel Dash's new barouche and Mrs. Blank's shabby livery; but the sun, and wind, and dust, and heat, and cold by turns wearied and irritated her to death. end of an hour's complaining Esther found she could much more enter into Wilson's frame of mind respecting her aunt's requirements than she could have done the night before; and she was sensible of very considerable relief when Mrs. Tudor descried one of her Bath friends, the Miss Whitty already spoken of, approaching them along the promenade.

At the

'My dearest Mrs. Tudor! such a delightfully- unexpected pleasure!' cried this lady in a tone of the most youthful excitement. 'To think, when we last parted, that we should meet so soon again, and at the seaside really now, it is most extraordinary! Miss Fleming, I'm sure, from the family likeness. How-doyou-do, Miss Fleming? I hope you left your friends in Devonshire quite well?' [Miss Whitty always held it a point of politeness to inquire after everybody's relations, whether she knew them or not. It may please -it can't displease,' was her way of reasoning to herself. If I never see them, it does not signify; if I do, it is something like an introduction to have been constantly asking about them to their friends.' And to make acquaintance with fresh people was the grand goal and winning point of Miss Whitty's life.] 'I am so delighted we have met, she proceeded, when Esther had satisfied her as to the sanitary condition of the Countisbury household. We can take such nice long walks. together by the sea. Do you care for sea-anemones? I am a perfect child when I once find myself among the-the limpets and seaweeds, and things, upon the rocks.'

'I should think you had best stop with me on dry land, Whitty,'

remarked Mrs. Tudor, with a cutting laugh. 'We old women are not fitted for scrambling among rocks, and wetting our feet, like girls of Esther's age There are you lodging? My woman tells me there is not a garret to be hired in Weymouth under thirty shillings a week.'

6

'I have taken apartments in one of the smaller streets, Mrs. Tudor,' answered poor Whitty, evidently with a great many high notes taken out of her by her patroness's first word. The people are not very civil; and I am afraid they take the butter already; but I get the rooms on moderate terms, and perhaps, as I shall be out a great deal, the cooking and attendance won't matter.'

'You can get your food with me when you will,' said Mrs. Tudor. 'I dine early here at the sea, and drink my tea at six. You are free to take both meals with me when you choose.'

Remembering Mrs. Tudor's somewhat scant hospitality to herself the night before, Esther was a little surprised at this open-handed offer to any one so hungry-looking as Miss Whitty. She did not yet understand the system upon which Mrs. Tudor's reputation for liberality was based and kept up; but poor Whitty did. Years of poverty and humility, and petty toad-eating, and little deceitful gratitude, had taught her the precise value of all proffered favours from richer people -the exact sort of answer it was incumbent upon herself to give. 'She would not for worlds intrude upon Mrs. Tudor. Nothing was more disagreeable, away from home, than having people dropping in at dinner-time. She would be delighted to come round any evening, or every evening, after tea, if Mrs. Tudor would permit her, and--'

'Very well, very well,' interrupted Mrs. Tudor complacently ('tis the creature's pride,' she remarked afterwards to Esther. "Whenever I try to put bread in her mouth she makes excuses, as you saw; and she's starving, my dear, she's starving!'). You shall come to-night, Whitty. My niece and I will drink

our tea early, and if you come in by seven we shall just have time for a game of piquet before bed-time. I am ordered to be in my bed by ten and it tells upon me a great dual Í never shut my eyes before one. It tires me a vast deal more than being up.'

Perhaps the noise of the waves keeps you awake, mim,' suggested Miss Whitty, with one of her faint little simpers. 'I had an aunt once who was ordered to the sea, and—'

'Do you know who that is driving with old Lady Fanshawe? I know the woman's face. Who is she?'

Lady Fanshawe-where, mim? Oh, yes! to be sure; in the yellow barouche. Poor Whitty was always ready to merge her own stories or observations on the faintest interruption from any one else. 'Now I see her face. It's Miss Garth, halfsister, you remember, to the late Lord Riversdale. There was a great talk about her once for Colonel Manners, mim; but he went to India suddenly, and she got a situation as companion, you may recollect; and she's had money left her since, and lives in very good style at Cheltenham-quite in the dinnering set.'

I know her; but do talk grammar, Miss Whitty; "dinnering" means nothing. I knew Amelia Garth; I knew Amelia Garth's mother. She comes of bad blood. Old Lady Fanshawe would do better to mind her own needy flesh and blood than take up with such a woman as yon. Who is this coming along the walk? He has a distinguished air. Ah! now I recognize him. Esther, child,' in a whisper, this is your friend's lover, whom you were making so many inquiries about. Mr. Chichester, how do you do?'

And Esther, who had been listening with rather vacant attention to the conversation about Amelia Garth, started round, and positively trembled through all her frame on suddenly finding herself face to face with Paul Chichester.

'Mr. Chichester, my niece, Miss Fleming.'

Esther bowed, very distantly and cold: Paul smiled. I am quite

accustomed to hear your name, Miss Fleming. I was intrusted with a great many messages for you, in case I should meet you here.

Oh! I am huch obliged;' and then Esther stopped, and felt more confused than she had ever done in her life before.

You were at school with Miss Dashwood, Esther, were you not?" said Mrs. Tudor, with a sharp look at her niece's downcast face. Mr. Chichester has recently come from Bath, and can, no doubt, give you news of your young friends.'

'Milly wrote to me a day or two before I left Countisbury, and told me all they were doing, Aunt Thalia.

She and Jane seem to have been very gay of late.'

Not so gay as usual, I imagine,' said Paul. I believe Bath is considered to be empty just at present.'

'I heard of two balls and an archery-fête in one week; that sounds gay to me.'

'But it would not to them. Miss Dashwood informed me in the raceweek that she had danced four-andtwenty hours in four days, in addition to all her morning fatigue on the course. That is pretty well, I think, even for one of the fastest young ladies in England.'

'Do you mean Jane?'

Certainly. Don't you know that to be considered fast is Miss Dashwood's own highest and most cherished ambition.'

'I thought you pretended to be engaged to her,' almost rose indignantly to Esther's lips; but as she was going to speak she happened to look straight into Paul Chichester's eyes, and something she read there made her stop short. She forgot her shyness, she forgot her indig nation, she forgot Oliver Carew. 'I think Jane makes herself out worse than she is, sir. I could never believe that she was fast at heart."

'Have you seen many of your friends here, Mr. Chichester?' interrupted Mrs. Tudor, who was inwardly chafing over her niece's deplorable want of aplomb and selfpossession. 'I have been here a fortnight, and have scarce seen a dozen faces that I know. Weymouth is not what it was a few