making himself agreeable to Fanny, who did not receive his overtures very graciously; but I don't think he was at all aware of this. He was happy in possessing the good opinion of the person for whom he had the greatest esteem in the world-himself. He had long fair hair, and a round fair face; and was, as Sophy has told you, very accomplished. Like Mrs. Steele, he too carried a small amount of baggage. A sketching apparatus was slung over his shoulder; a botanical tin hung on one arm, and a case that looked ominously musical on the other. He seemed rather embarrassed in determining which of the engaged arms he should offer Fanny, whom he was about to escort to the woods; but Dr. Hall saved him the trouble of deciding by proffering his, which Fanny, with a resigned air, accepted. As we were thus forming in procession, Mrs. Steele raised her face, drew back her ugly, readjusted it, and said, "I feel rain." Now the same idea had before suggested itself to me, but I thought it would be cruel to breathe my suspicions. Sophy tried to explain it away; but Mrs. Steele deliberately unfurled her umbrella, and under its shelter entered the woodwalk. We followed its graceful windings for about half a mile, now and then stopping to admire the shadowy glades that opened on either hand, catching through some of them a glimpse of the sparkling river, that danced and sung as though it, like ourselves, was keeping holiday. Where the sky was blue, it was very pretty to look up at it through the green tree-tops: but the truth must be spokenclouds were gathering very fast indeed. Miss Hall indulged in much speculation on her favourite theme: however, no more rain fell, and we reached in safety an open space that had been cleared on the bank of the river, and com manded a lung, smooth reach of it, our view closing with a pretty little cascade, and our ears soothed with the soft dreamy music of its falling waters. Some felled trees lay about, on which we rested ourselves-all but Mr. Mills, who unstrapping a camp-stool from his back, established himself thereon, and began diligently making a sketch of the scene before him; and Mrs. Steele, who continued to stand erect as a British Grenadier beneath the shelter of her umbrella. "Doesn't that tire you, Mrs. Steele?" inquired Fanny. "Thank you, Miss Daly, no," was the reply; and Mrs. Steele turning right round, began explaining to Sophy the construction of a very formidable kind of backboard, which she thought might be worn with advantage by Margaret, who, I observed, looked extremely aghast at the prospect. I had seated myself by Miss Hall, thinking she was the person who would most need a companion that day, and was just making some remarks on the scene before us, and suggesting a ramble to a pretty point of view after dinner, when she proved to me her entire independence of such sources of amusement, by producing an elaborate piece of crochet in white cotton, representing a dismallooking cockatoo, whose left claw, which grasped a cherry, she now proceeded with, murmuring to herself at intervals sundry cabalistic letters and numbers, that impressed one with the idea that she was engaged in working out some abstruse calculation in algebra. Her brother, meanwhile, was making himself universally useful. He manufactured a fishingrod for Dick, who forthwith posted himself with it on the most perilous part of the bank he could find, where he was speedily joined by his sisters. He made constant excursions to the farm-house, to superintend the carriage of the hampers; he helped in unpacking them; and when no one else could get the fire to light, Dr. Hall did, all the time laughing and talking incessantly. I was quite glad for Sophy: she seemed to leave all the trouble of her party in his hands; and he was entirely satisfied to take it. Only Fanny he offended-not treating that thought her due; so she went and looked over fair young potentate with the deference she Mr. Mills's sketch, and found fault with it. I must say it was a mighty scratchy affair. Now and then Sophy remarked she wondered the little girls, who were tired of fishing with where Edward and Frank were; and as I saw Dick, looking rather doleful, I asked them to come with me, and hunt for wood-strawberries. Capital!" cried the Doctor. "With the cream from the farm, what a dessert we'll have!" 66 And he began routing in the hampers for a little fruit-basket he affirmed to have seen there. Oh, the fate of good nature! The basket contained a paper of sifted sugar, which the Doctor imagined to be nothing but some of the packings of the other good things. He shook it out hastily, and in a moment the ground was covered with a miniature snowshower. My thoughts reverted to the currant tart, the Doctor's to his dessert, Sophy's to the could be made sweet enough for them. children's vermicelli-pudding, which Effie pounced upon the basket, and beckoned me off. I thought I was going to have such a dull birthday, Miss Mant; and now it will be so pleasant!" 66 never So, as it says in the fairy tales, we went on and on, up to the top of the wood, where was an old lime-kiln, with such a view from it! and around it a bank of wood-strawberries, such as I know nowhere else. In a shady nook I found some cowslips, which had lingered there late; and when I had gathered them I sat down and watched the children, perfectly happy in hunting for the bright berries; and I, too, enjoyed myself very much in a quiet way. By-and-by, we heard a sort of bugle-call sounded from below, which we concluded was a summons for our return, and accordingly obeyed it. "That is Dr. Hall, I know," said Margaret; "he can imitate a bugle so well." And Effie observed, she liked hearing it, for it reminded her so much of the dear old 107th. I am afraid she is fast treading in her Aunt Fanny's | leave off." And looked at Mrs. Steele to se steps. We were warmly greeted on our return, and the freight we brought with us was duly appreciated. Then Sophy said, she believed we must begin dinner without her husband. Forever so far off we could hear Brick's bark. "Very provoking of Mr. Rivers," I irreverently thought, "not to return when he knows his wife is waiting dinner for him." But, I believe, poor man! he enjoyed his holiday as much as his little boy did. Dr. Hall by this time was busy with the salad. Of course there was no corkscrew; that is part of the programme of a pic-nic. And now Mrs. Steele's command of resources (the test, I believe, of a great character) began to develope itself. "I suppose," she said, "dinner will be ready immediately." And in stantly commenced a course of preparation for that meal. The purpose for which the carpetbag had accompanied her was now made apparent. Imprimis, she drew forth an Indianrubber cushion, which she deliberately inflated; then a knife and fork, screwed up together; a silver spoon, a Graffenberg tumbler, a packet of salt; last of all, a corkscrew. This last benefaction Dr. Hall gratefully accepted, and instantly drew the cork of a bottle of salad mixture. So he supposed it to be; but a shriek from Margaret warned him of his error. "Oh! Dr. Hall, all the nice custard," she exclaimed, as he poured part of the contents over the neatly-sliced lettuce and carefully-prepared lobster. I believe he never could have recovered the embarrassment into which this disaster threw him, but for the sudden apparition of Frank, who in piteous accents informed us that "Brick had come to grief." He had got himself fast into a rabbit-hole where he had been burrowing. This timely diversion called off the Doctor, who went to render his assistance, whilst the coachman, with whom Brick was in high favour, rushed away with Frank. "It is my I saw dear Sophy look a little dismayed at the delay thus occasioned. Mrs. Steele took out her watch, and briefly remarked, dinner-hour;" casting at the same time a hungry glance towards a pigeon-pie. Mr. Mills had finished his drawing, with the help of Fanny's remarks, and was now reclining gracefully at her feet. "Suppose Mr. Mills were to make some use of his guitar,” I observed, glancing at that phetic case. pro He corrected me: "My mandoline." But he spoke with sudden energy, and evidently very much wishing to be asked to sing. Sophy looked gratefully at me, and made the request expected of her; so the interesting Ernest turned and twanged his little mandoline, and commenced that song about the Swallows, that was on everybody's lips a year or so ago. His voice-well, I'll be charitable: I think I have heard worse-I certainly have better. Fanny looked bored. Sophy, at the conclusion, said, "Thank you very much: I hope you will not cond her; who replied, "I don't understand German;" a fact which she appeared to think settled the question; but Miss Hall, with all her heart, said," How very pretty!" and Mr. Mills, beaming graciously upon her, was about to favour us with another ditty, in "That grunting, growling, northern guttural, Where you are obliged to hiss, and spit, and sputter all," when a shout from the river bank drew us all in that direction. There we saw Dick upheld in Thus he dissipated the clouds of apprehension that were fast gathering on Sophy's brow, who received Dick with as much transport as if he had just returned gloriously from his first campaign. Her next impulse was to invite his deliverer to join our party; an invitation to brightened from that moment. which he very gracefully acceded, and Fanny To say the truth, there was a vast difference between Ernest Mills and Mons. Isidor de Visme, for such we found to be the name of our new acquaintance. Without being decidedly handsome, his countenance was extremely prepossessing. He wore the most captivating little moustache; and though he spoke English unhesitatingly, it was with a slight foreign accent, that gave it great piquancy. He was at once acquainted with us all, and I could see Sophy was beginning to in Dr. Hall, when that gentleman returned in confide as implicitly in him as ever she had done company with Mr. Rivers, Frank, and Brick, who was received rapturously by the children. and severe exertions on that of his friends, been He had, after heroic efforts on his own part, rescued; and in short, as Mr. Ernest Mills believing himself to be uttering a perfectly novel witticism, remarked, " he had proved himself a regular brick.” "Thank goodness," thought I, "now we shall have dinner." Dr. Hall was of the same mind, and expressed aloud what I only thought. Mrs. Steele, also, seemed to consider the introduction to M. de Visme as taking up some unnecessary time, and drawing towards her the devoted pigeon-pie, commenced an attack upon it. "There's a drop of rain," said Effie. There's another," cried Dick. Mrs. Steele arose, and stepping right through the case of the mandoline, which lay in her path, she took | down from the bough of a tree where it hung her water-proof cloak, the hood of which she drew over her bonnet, ugly and all; then pushing aside the broken case, on which the unfortunate minstrel gazed ruefully, reseated herself, and went on with her dinner. Not so poor hungry Dr. Hall. While this little pantomime was being acted, his servant had come with seven-league strides down the wood - walk, bringing a letter to his master. Miss Hall looked anxiously up: "What is the matter, Charles ?" Sir Simon Merivale has had an apoplectic fit. I am to go there without loss of time." Loud were the lamentations, sincere the condolences offered to the dinnerless Doctor, who at once hurried away to the farm. "Some of you must take Mills," he said, "for I must have the dog-cart." I am afraid our commiseration for his state would not have prevented our having a very pleasant dinner. Indeed, nothing could be more propitious than its commencement, M. de Visme making himself especially agreeable, and Fanny sparkling as brightly as the champagne; but all the time the children kept reporting every drop of rain as it fell, like minute-guns, warning us most dismally of the fact that we were likely to be overtaken by a very heavy shower. It was edifying to see the composure with which Mrs. Steele bore each successive announcement. She was now completely waterproof, having added a pair of gutta percha goloshes to the rest of her apparel. Fanny fairly boxed Margaret's ears for impressing upon her, that the rain was coming down faster and faster, at the very moment when she was beaming most graciously on M. de Visme, in return for the very prettiest of his pretty speeches. But Miss Hall, though Ernest Mills had devoted himself to her, from the time that illustrious foreigner dawned upon our horizon, could not accept his conversation instead of a shelter; and after glancing nervously from the pale silk dress to the delicate bonnet-strings, at length faintly said she would not for the world disturb the rest of the party, but she must return to the farm, as she was afraid of sitting out in the rain. Thus rudely was the truth forced upon us. We were sitting out in the rain, and had no other course left but to hurry away with the utmost expedition; all but the indomitable Mrs. Steele, who had encamped beneath her umbrella, and announced her intention of finishing her dinner at leisure. It was sad work to get the children away; and the united efforts of Ernest Mills and myself could only succeed in partially saving Miss Hall's bonnet. Fanny was well taken care of-M. de Visme was her escort, and fascinated all the inmates of the farm, when we at last reached its shelter, by his affable manners and agreeable conversation. He, like Ernest Mills, was an artist; or rather, an artist very unlike Ernest Mills. Such lovely sketches he showed us! No wonder Fanny was in ecstasies with them, and declared she should take to drawing again. now "Yes," said little Dick, solemnly, " Captain Bradshaw is gone, you don't practise nearly so much, you know, Aunt Fanny." Go away, sir. What are you doing here, fingering M. de Visme's beautiful drawings?" she exclaimed. 66 And as her nephew disconsolately withdrew, I called him to me. "Come here, Dicky, and we'll make a cowslip-ball if I can get some thread." "Ah, indeed! if I could get a needle, too, to mend Effie's frock," said Sophy, displaying a tremendous rent. "Here is one for you," said a voice behind me; and Mrs. Steele made her appearance in full costume, and drew out of her bag a completely-furnished housewife, with thimble, scissors, &c. &c. I petitioned for a bit of strong diately supplied to me. thread for the cowslip-ball, which was immethat bag was a present from the Fairy BlackFor myself, I believe introduced into polite society. smith, only the Fairy Blacksmith was not then whispered to me that he thought And Frank Fortunatus's no end of a purse." "it was like device, and the children amused themselves The manufacture of the ball was a happy for throwing at M. de Visme, who on his part with it for some time, till Fanny rebuked them bore the pelting very good humouredly. The rain was abating, and I began to hope the with great dismay in her face, approached me. troubles of the day were over, when Sophy, What shall we do? I am so distressed. There are three children in the house ill in the small-pox." Now Sophy is by no means a vain mother, but she really has unusually pretty children. I entered warinly into her feelings, and agreed with her, we must get them out of the house as quickly as we could, and collected them for that purpose, only Dick was not to be found. Whilst of the case, and in terror scudded away. Mrs. we were hunting for him, Fanny learnt the state Steele was alone unmoved. She sat with stern composure on the settle by the fire, and calmly replied to Sophy's hurried explanations-I've had it." I A shriek from the yard assailed our ears. had miscalculated sadly the amount of trouble assigned to us that day. Dick was again the victim, and Fanny was calling to us to help him. We found him pinned up in one corner of a little court, in front of a kennel in which an barking furiously, and tugging away at his enormous mastiff was chained. The dog was chain, which allowed him to reach within an inch or two of that unfortunate infant. Having been forbidden by his aunt to play in the house, he had slipped out into the yard to amuse himself there; and without perceiving the dog, who was at the moment asleep, he had run into the court in front of the kennel to pick up his ball, which had fallen on the further side of it. He was quickly made aware, however, of the to reassure her; and really there was nothing the matter with the boys, but that Frank had overheated, and Dick overstuffed himself. propinquity of the monster on whose domain he | cess, when happily Dr. Hall came in, and helped was trespassing. The dog every moment grew more furious, and the poor little boy was in real danger, when a large bone was, by some unseen hand, thrown into the opposite corner to that in which poor Dicky stood on tiptoe, weeping piteously; and the enemy being thus diverted, Mrs. Steele made a long arm, reached over the wall, and lifted him out; but as soon as ever she had him in safety, she relieved her feelings by bestowing on him a good shaking, and added, "I hope you will be whipped- I am sure you deserve it." "But," said the Doctor, "that was an unlucky day for me, Mrs. Rivers-I have lost Sir Simon as a patient. My delay in getting over there was fatal to my interests in that quarter. Raikes had got there before me, and has been in attendance ever since." And the Doctor laughed as cheerily as if it were the cleverest joke in the world, to lose the best patient in the neighbourhood. Really that pic-nic developed the powers of his goodhumoured philosophy amazingly. I stayed with Sophy for the next few days, for I do make a tolerable nurse, though this scarcely seems to lie within the usually passive nature of my employment; and thus I learnt how Fanny was improving the shining hours of M. de Visme's stay at Napperton, by flirting away to the best of her ability; and that, I can vouch for it, is pretty extensive. Towards the end of the next week, however, he quitted the neighbourhood, holding out the hope of some day returning; and begging to be remembered to Uncle Richard, who was expected, the very day on which he left, to pay his promised visit at Ivy Lodge. Sophy and her husband were to drive there to meet him, and I accompanied them. Perhaps he did, but this remark of Mrs. Steele's rather moderated Sophy's expressions of gratitude to her for her rescue of the child. Oh how I hailed the carriages that now appeared; but to arrange our party, in returning, was again a matter of difficulty. Who would take Mr. Mills? And how was M. de Visme to accompany us? Mr. Rivers had asked him to return with us, promising him a dinner, instead of that of which the rain had cheated him. I understood Sophy's look of anguish at this announcement, as she had made me acquainted in the morning with the state of her commissariat. At length we fairly started: Mr. Mills had Frank's pony, as his mamma was afraid of his riding home in the rain; and to our dismay, M. Isidor was tête-à-tête with Miss Fanny; at least the presence of her nieces could scarcely deprive their journey of that character. Mrs. Steele resumed her former seat, and retained her accustomed aspect. Two miles on the road we found some men removing a shattered dogcart. My brother!" cried Miss Hall, and became first hysterical, and then rushed out of the carriage; her bonnet being finally extinguished in the rain, whilst she made frantic inquiries after "Charles's" safety. He had come to no harm, it seemed, though his car-membered to me? riage had. In his haste he had driven against a wagon, and the dog-cart was thus reduced to its present plight. Happily the Doctor had escaped injury, but the delay thus occasioned in reaching Sir Simon's must be serious, and Miss Hall was greatly distressed at the idea. I would fain have had a quiet evening after all this, but Sophy entreated me to return with her, and I managed to give her some help in arranging a little dinner, which was warmly appreciated by M. de Visme, and at which Fanny was irresistible. It appeared that our new friend was acquainted with Uncle Richard, a great person at Ivy Lodge, and who was shortly expected on a visit there. He is the great banker at L—, and Fanny is his favourite niece, and it is thought will be his heir, though Mr. Rivers, I know, considers his namesake Dicky the most proper recipient of his bounty. For the next few days there was so much rain I could not get out, but the first fine morning I walked down to Mrs. Edward Rivers, and found her plunged in the depth of distress. The two boys were ill, in a high fever, and she was certain that they had caught the infection at the farmhouse. I tried to soothe her, but without much suc In the drawing-room we found Fanny detailing to Mr. Richard Daly all the news of town and county; and it was not long before M. Isidor became the theme of her discourse. "Such a charming man, Uncle Richard; and he said he knew you so well, and desired to be remembered to you." "Eh! what?" said Uncle Richard, rousing up. What was his name? Desired to be reHad some acquaintance with me! Yes, I dishonoured a bill of his last week, certainly." Fanny's tone was considerably subdued for the rest of the evening; and Edward Rivers maliciously enjoyed her discomfiture. Fanny has not broken her heart though. There is a certain Captain Maberly, who (if her father can ever be prevailed on to part with his darling) will have the cruelty to carry away from us the beauty of our neighbourhood; and of this it is that Fanny and I have been talking together this dull afternoon. She was telling me that Captain Maberly had been rather intimate with M. de Visme at his last quarters, and spoke very well of him, only acknowledging him to be a little extravagant. "And do you know," she added, "it was the manner in which M. de Visme described him to me that prepossessed me so strongly in his favour. He knew that his regiment was ordered here, and recommended him particularly to my notice; and I am sure I have reason to thank him for his introduction. Who could imagine all that was to come of that dreary party on Effie's last birthday?" J. H. L. |