at all events original and very unlike that adopted by her other admirers. Of other admirers Miss Marcia very soon had quite as many as she could manage. Some of them were apparently serious, others were doubtful; but all were welcome; and she was the more kind and encouraging with them when she discovered that Mr. Brett strongly disapproved of the levity of her conduct. After the evening of the dinner party in Grosvenor Place she was continually meeting Mr. Brett, who went into society that season more than he had ever done before, and she knew that he did this for the sake of meeting her; and he had a way of glancing at her severely and drawing in his lips, when she passed him on the arm of some gay youth or other, which afforded her much gratification. "You make that poor man waste a great deal of valuable time," Laura (who was not herself overburdened with admirers, and consequently had leisure to observe the proceedings of others) told her. To which she replied that she was innocent of any wish to draw Mr. Brett away from his professional labors. Nevertheless, it pleased her to think that he was wasting his time for her sake, and she was glad to know that he was jealous of her, nor did she object to the little lectures which he saw fit to administer to her from time to time. "Does the conversation of these young swells interest you, Miss Thompson? he asked her one evening, "or do you only look as if it interested you by way of increasing your popularity ?" "All sorts of people interest me," she answered. "I don't think I care particularly what they say, so long as they do their best to be pleasant. You never try to be pleasant, do you? "Oh, yes, I try to be pleasant to the people whom I don't care about; with the others I try to be honest." "That is very flattering to me; because, from the general style of your observations, I suppose there can be no doubt that you class me amongst the others.' Honestly speaking, you consider me a very frivolous sort of young woman, don't you?" "Not yet," he answered, in his quiet, deliberate way. "But I should say that there was some danger of your becoming So. It seems to me that you care a little too much for admiration and not quite enough whose admiration it may be. That is the nature of most women; but I hope it is not your nature and I don't think it is." "What is my nature, Mr. Brett?" Marcia inquired; and, as she spoke, she turned her face towards his with an expression of candid curiosity. you have strong "Well," he said, affections." Marcia nodded. "Quite right, so far. Go on, please." "You are not exactly vain; but you are extremely anxious to be liked or thought well of by everybody, and that often leads you into saying things which you don't really mean. I shouldn't wonder if it sometimes led you into doing things of which you don't really approve. You are rather deficient in moral courage, and you have not much self-confidence. Your instincts are certainly good; still it is doubtful whether you will follow them, because you will always be under the influence of those with whom you may happen to associate." "You are like those tiresome people who grab one's hand after dinner and pretend to decipher one's character from studying the lines on one's palm,' marked Marcia. re "Have I deciphered it successfully?" “Oh, yes, I dare say you have. Let me see; I am vain, insincere, rather cowardly, and miserably weak. Yes; I should think that was all right. Any more compli ments ? " "I didn't know that you wished for compliments," said Mr. Brett, with a grave smile. "Yet you appear to have discovered that there is nothing in the world that I value more." "I can pay you compliments without turning aside from the path of strict hon. esty. I can tell you only I am sure you are aware of it that you have a fascination for which there is no name that I know of, but which will suffice to bring any man or number of men to your feet just as often as you choose to exercise it. I can tell you that you are already very powerful, and that you may travel a long way before you reach the limits of your powers. Then, of course, I can tell you, if you care to hear it, that you have eclipsed all the ladies who are called beauties to-night." Marcia colored with pleasure. Of such speeches as that she felt that she could never have too many. But perhaps Mr. Brett thought that he had now been com. plimentary enough; for he added, "The risk is that you may be spoiled by all this adulation. You may think flirtation so delightful and so amusing that it isn't worth your while to aim at anything | else than reducing that art to perfection. If you do that, you will drive away the only people whose er-friendship is worth having." 66 Meaning your own-er-friendship?" instead of flattering me, and when he is in inquired Marcia, with a very fair mimicry a good humor he is really rather nice. I of his intonation. don't see why I am bound to refuse his friendship.” "I won't say that," Mr. Brett replied; "I don't give or withdraw my friendship lightly. But I confess that I shall be grievously disappointed if you turn out a hard-hearted flirt, like most of the girls whom one meets. I hope better things of you." Marcia laughed and cut short the col loquy by signalling to one of her partners, who had been hovering in the offing for the last minute or so. There are certain accusations which have never given offence to any woman since the world began. It is wrong to be a hard-hearted flirt; but it is not disagreeable to be stigmatized in that way by persons who are incapable of forming a just judgment and whose incapacity is due to circumstances for which allowance may easily be made. At least, Mr. Brett could not say that she had flirted with him. Nevertheless, other people said so; for this is a censorious world, and nobody will ever know how good we really all are and how little we intend to work mischief until we learn to judge of our neighbors by ourselves - which is a very hard lesson to learn. Laura Beaumont, for instance, told her friend in so many words that she was behaving abominably. "It isn't fair, Marcia," said she. "I don't complain of your amusing yourself with these young men, who very likely are only amusing themselves with you; but you know quite well that Mr. Brett is in earnest, and, unless you are in earnest too, you have no business to go on like this." " Like what?" inquired Marcia, with an air of innocent amazement. "You ought not to make him think that you are purposely teasing him, and that you care for him in reality a great deal more than you care for anybody else." "But perhaps he hasn't offered you that?" suggested Laura. "He has, though. At least, he kindly gave me to understand that I possessed it, and that I might possibly lose it if I didn't amend my ways.' "Oh, he has got as far as that, has he? Well, one knows the true name of such friendship. Perhaps, after all, you won't lose it." "I am sure I shall not deserve to lose it," Marcia replied demurely. It is scarcely necessary to say that the above conversation had little influence, one way or the other, upon a young woman whose actions were guided rather by her heart than by her head, and who was dis posed to regard the affection of her fellowcreatures as her prerogative. Marcia was a good deal more impressed by some remarks which fell from her hostess a few days later. Good-natured Mrs. Beaumont, who had already married several daughters successfully, and expected to marry the youngest of them without much difficulty in the course of that season or the next, was, for the time being, greatly interested in the orphan who had been committed to her charge. What with her face and her fortune, Marcia ought, she thought, to make a good match, and, although Mr. Brett might fairly be counted eligible, he had certain blemishes to which it seemed only right to call the attention of the inexperienced. She therefore felt it to be her duty to say to Marcia, My dear, I have noticed that you see a great deal of that Mr. Brett, and he is always calling here now, instead of leaving a card at the door, like other people. I have nothing in the world to say against him; only he isn't very young, and I should think he might be a little bit exact I do hope that he is not so disgusting. I see that you don't like my speakingly conceited as to think any such thing!" Marcia declared. I don't know about the conceit; I know that is what I should think if I were in his place. It stands to reason that you wouldn't sit out two or three dances in succession with him, if you didn't either care for him or wish to make him believe that you did." ing so plainly; but the fact is that a word in season often prevents subsequent unpleasantness, and perhaps you will forgive me when you remember that just at present I am standing in the place of your mother." "What do you wish me to say, Mrs. Beaumont?" asked Marcia, after a moment of hesitation. 66 Quite so, my dear; but this time it is a question of what you may choose. I don't think that, if I were you, I should choose Mr. Brett. I believe he is pretty well off, and he is certainly clever and his character is all that it ought to be; still he is too old for you and rather too solemn, according to my notions. Fortunately, he is man of the world enough to take a hint, and probably a very delicate one will suffice to prevent him from troubling you any at a comparatively early age, to the front rank in his profession. The son of a provincial banker, he had declined to join his elder brother George in carrying on the paternal avocations, and had been thought foolish for throwing away such a chance. Possibly he had been foolish, for his brother had become a London banker and a rich man; yet he had attained to such eminence in the calling of his choice that his brother, like the rest of the world, respected him, and at the time with which we are now concerned he was making a large annual income. He was, in truth, rather industrious than talented, although experience had enabled him to acquire a knowledge of human nature which stood him in good stead. He believed himself to be an excellent judge of character, as indeed he was, within certain limits. No man can be a judge of what he has not Mrs. Beaumont would not have said that if she had understood her protégée better.seen, and there are many phases of human Marcia was quite certain that she was not in love with Mr. Brett; but she was equally certain that it would be painful to her to dismiss him, and she never, if she could possibly help it, gave herself pain. So she said, "I wouldn't for the world drive any one away from such a pleasant house as this, Mrs. Beaumont. There really is nothing between me and Mr. Brett-nothing at all! I hope you won't snub him on my account." Mrs. Beaumont laughed again and replied, "Very well, my dear." No girl could be expected to proclaim her sentiments more distinctly, and if Miss Thompson liked middle-aged lawyers that, after all, was Miss Thompson's affair. No objection was likely to be raised against this particular lawyer by Miss Thompson's guardians. Thus it came to pass that, without any special exertion on his own part, Mr. Brett attained to the position of a recog nized suitor. CHAPTER II. TWO ENGAGEMENTS. nature of which this distinguished lawyer was necessarily ignorant. However, he did not know that, and he would have had to be a much larger-minded man than he was to have even surmised it. He was in all things thoroughly honest and conscientious; he had, while still young, faced the religious difficulties which honest and conscientious men pretty generally have to face, and had obtained answers which had seemed to him satisfactory from teachers of the Evangelical school; he was now (after passing through this mild form of a common disease) quite at rest in his mind with regard to the problems of a present and future life; he went twice to church on Sundays and gave away a fair proportion of his professional gains in charity. Evidently, the proper course marked out for him was to persevere in well-doing until he obtained the legal prize which was his due to marry some worthy and submissive woman, to die in an hon ored old age, and eventually to be depos ited in Kensal Green beneath a sufficiently imposing weight of marble. But fate, which laughs at the oldest and gravest of us, had decreed that Mr. Eus. tace Brett should make himself ridiculous SUCCESS in life is perhaps more often by falling over head and ears in love with achieved by those who start without ad- a schoolgirl; and, as he had never been vantages than by those who, being favor-in love before (possibly he had never had ably handicapped, have leisure to ask themselves whether the game is worth the candle. At all events, the men who know that they have only their own talents and industry to rely upon are likely, if they have any ambition, to exert these to the utmost; and it was, doubtless, because he had done so, that Eustace Brett had risen, the time), his love was as serious and earnest as everything else about him. He did not think himself ridiculous for loving Marcia Thompson, although he had at the outset great doubts as to whether she would be a suitable wife for him. These doubts were overcome when he had seen more of her, because her conversation "I was wondering whether you would put in an appearance to-day. I am so glad you have, because they have left me all alone, and I don't know what to do with myself." convinced him that she had a yielding and | be, Mr. Brett did call at his accustomed During this period of his life, Eustace Brett managed to get on with an extraordinarily small allowance of sleep. Work had to be done; but then also balls had to be attended, and naturally there was nothing for it but to take pleasure first and work afterwards which is not to be recommended as a system. He consoled himself with the reflection that it was only temporary. A married man who has professional duties to discharge cannot be expected to go to balls, and a married woman should have other ambitions than that of shining in society. He did his love-making in a quiet, steady, methodical way. He was aware that his age was a little against him and that he had not a face which could be counted upon to captivate a young girl's fancy; but he aspired to reach Marcia's heart through her reason, which was, no doubt, somewhat absurd, and yet was perhaps his best chance. In obedience to the instructions which she had received, or imagined that she had received, Mrs. Beaumont gave orders that he was to be admitted whenever he called; and very soon it came to be an understood thing that he might be expected every Sunday afternoon. Possibly that was why Mrs. and Miss Beaumont, being both of them kind-hearted people, happened to go out one Sunday afternoon, and were thoughtful enough to tell the butler that, if Mr. Brett should cåll, he was to be shown into the drawing-room, where Miss Thompson might entertain him until their return. However that may Mr. Brett was somewhat given to the use of long and ceremonious phrases. He replied, "I am doubly fortunate in finding you alone, and of being the humble means of providing you with some relief from the monotony of your own company. At the same time," he added gallantly, "it is difficult for me to understand how your company could possibly be monotonous." "I should be glad," answered Mr. Brett, "to be allowed an opportunity of deciding that point by the test of experience; meanwhile, I venture respectfully to dispute it." Marcia thought that in any case it would not take her very long to grow weary of so long-winded a companion, and it will be admitted that she had some reason for her belief. He was always wearisome and heavy when the conversation took that turn, and perhaps he was not without a glimmering of the truth, for he hastened to change it. "You look tired, Miss Thompson," he remarked. "Are you beginning to find out that a London season is not only a very fatiguing, but a very monotonous thing?" "I don't think I am," answered Marcia musingly; "but it isn't quite such fun as I thought it would be. If other people enjoyed it, it would be pleasant enough; the unfortunate thing is that most of them seem to be too stupid to enjoy it." "On behalf of the stupid majority," said Mr. Brett, "I beg to assure you that we are less stupid than you think us. We enjoy society under certain conditions; that is, when it enables us to meet certain individuals.” "Oh, I wasn't thinking of you!" returned Marcia not over-civilly. 'No; but I was thinking of you. I am hardly what can be called a society man, but I have liked going into society this year for a reason which you can easily guess." And, as Marcia laughed without replying, he resumed presently: "I don't 66 'Weli, at present perhaps it is; but it will not always be so. Miss Thompson, I know you will not be surprised when I tell you that I love you, and that my dearest wish is to call you my wife. You must have seen that for a long time past; and what gives me some hope is that you have never discouraged me. I am not a very young man; but perhaps it is better to be loved by a man who has passed the age of change; and this, I think, I may say for myself, that if you will intrust your future happiness to me you will not regret it." Marcia was considerably taken aback. She had not expected Mr. Brett to make his offer so soon, nor, indeed, had he contemplated doing so when he entered the house. He now sat, with dispassionate calm, awaiting her reply, which, when it came, was a somewhat ambiguous one. 66 But, Mr. Brett," she said, "have you considered what you are doing? I-I don't think I am at all a domestic sort of person." He answered, smiling, "My dear Miss Thompson, you can't very well know yet what your tastes are. I may be permitted to doubt whether the kind of life that you have been leading lately would not very soon pall upon you. But pray don't think that should ever wish to exclude you from the society of your friends. I should be very well content to leave the question of excessive gaiety to be decided by circumstances and by your own good sense." "And if I were to decide in favor of the excessive gaiety?" "I don't think you would; but I am willing to take the risk. I am willing, in fact, to take any and every risk. Now can you accept me? She really did not think that she could. She did not love him, yet she was curiously reluctant to dismiss him, and she knew instinctively that he was not the kind of man to give her a chance of reconsidering her refusal. What she would have preferred would have been to keep him hanging on for a little longer; so at length she said, "I can't feel sure that we care enough for one another, Mr. Brett." " I "You may feel sure, so far as I am concerned," he answered quickly. know I have not been an impassioned lover; it is not my way to be impassioned. But the simple truth is, that I have never loved any one but you, and never shall love any one else. As for your feelings, I don't ask or expect that they should be very warm towards me just now; I only hope that they may become so; and I believe that they will, if absolute devotion on my part can make them so." Marcia gazed out through the open window across the blaze of flowers in the balcony, and hesitated. What was there about this grave, pedantic man that at tracted her? Why had she in the course of the last week refused two offers of marriage from men who were younger, probably richer, and certainly more attrac tive in the general acceptation of the term? She could not answer these questions, although the answer was not such a very difficult one to discover. She was drawn towards Eustace Brett, in the first place, because she did not quite understand him; in the second, because she was a little afraid of him; and in the third, because she was not a little proud of hav ing captured him. "You know what I am," she began, after a long pause. "I believe I do pretty well,” he answered smilingly. "Well, if you will take me for what I am- but Mrs. Beaumont says you are very exacting." "I do not think that you will find me that." Then, if you are sure you will never expect me to be what I am not The next moment Eustace Brett's thin lips were pressed upon Marcia's forehead, and the moment after that she regretted her precipitancy. She had done a foolish thing, and she was frightened and would have liked to draw back, only she had not the requisite courage. Yet it is not im. probable that she would have made her condition of mind apparent to him, and that he would have granted her her release -for, in spite of his solemnity and prig. gishness, he was neither an ungenerous man nor a fool—if at this moment Mrs. and Miss Beaumont had not appeared upon the scene. Their entrance, of course, put an end to the interview, and after a few minutes Mr. Brett got up and took his leave." Scarcely had he quitted the room when Mrs. Beaumont, who was looking happy and excited, announced that she was the E |