like," added she carelessly, as with her whip she decapitated, one after another, several beautiful buds which grew on a fine camellia standing in the window. Agnes was about to make some reply, when she was interrupted by the entrance of a third person. 66 Georgy, Lieutenant Forster is waiting for you, and the horses are at the door," said the new-comer, at the same time shaking hands with Agnes. Georgina hurried from the apartment, leaving her sister and Agnes together. "I must apologise for Georgina's abruptness, Miss Falkland. I am sorry she neglected to let you know that you need not have come to-day; but she was not aware of it herself till breakfast-time." Lydia Wilson was decidedly not good-looking, but the expression of her face was amiable, though somewhat thoughtful and anxious. Agnes, having assured her that she was in no way inconvenienced, left the Lodge, and joyfully bent her steps towards home, happy at being released for this one day from the task of teaching a very selfwilled and volatile pupil. That afternoon Mrs. Falkland and her daughters were delighted to received a long letter from Walter, containing a more particular account of what had occurred since he had seen them, than his first hasty letter had admitted of. In the evening, as Agnes's busy fingers were employed in arranging Edith's luxuriant tresses, the latter joyously exclaimed, "I have received such delightful news this afternoon. I am going to have a companion in future, who I hope will be the same to me as a sister; but, dear Agnes, I shall never love her more than you, so you need not be jealous. Besides, I am sorry to say that she is not a Catholic, and this will in a great degree prevent our intimacy from becoming very confidential; but perhaps that obstacle will one day be removed." "I am very glad," said Agnes, "that you will have a companion. I am sure that you must sometimes feel very dull, especially as your mamma is so great an invalid." "Well, I cannot say I am often dull," said Edith, smiling; "for I have about as boisterous a set of brothers as any sister ever possessed. Sometimes, indeed, I have not five minutes to myself in the day." At that moment, as if to verify her words, a loud knocking was heard at the door of the dressing-room, accompanied by a voice, which possessed more strength than melody, singing very original impromptu verses to the air of "Pop goes the Weasel !" "There is a specimen for you," said Edith, laughing. "Will you be so kind as to open the door, and see what that tiresome boy wants?" Agnes did so, and discovered Fred, the youngest of the Percival family, busily engaged in dropping hard peas on the bald head of the old butler, who, occupied in the hall below, was very much per plexed as to the origin of this unexpected hailstorm. Hearing the dressing-room door opened, he said in a half whisper, for fear of betraying himself, "I say, old lady, you will find some flowers"-then to himself, as he observed the success of one of his missiles, "That hit the old boy's nob!"-" on the table there," he continued; then turning round to point them out, he perceived Agnes looking rather amused. "Hallo! I beg your pardon, Miss Falkland; I thought it was my sister. Will you be so kind as to give her those flowers, which her affectionate brother Herbert has spent the last half hour in gathering?" Having delivered his message, he seated himself on the balustrade, and after a rapid journey arrived safely at the bottom of the staircase, to the admiration and astonishment of Hexham, the old butler who had been his unconscious victim a few minutes before. Agnes took up the beautiful hothouse flowers, and returning to the room, said, "I think Captain Percival should choose a more careful messenger when he sends you such exquisite flowers as these." "O, how beautiful they are!" exclaimed Edith; "and how thoughtful of Herbert to send them to me! You have no idea what a good brother he is." 66 "But," said Agnes, returning to their previous conversation, "you have not told me who your companion is to be yet; I am anxiously waiting to hear about it. I cannot imagine who she is; is she any relation or school-fellow of yours?" "She is a cousin of papa's; I will tell you her story, and then you will understand why it is that she is coming to live here. About twenty years ago, Mr. Macdonald, à Scotch gentleman, who was in the army, married a first cousin of papa's and then went out to India; they had only one child, a daughter, named Frances. Her mother died about a year ago, and her last request was, that Frances should be sent to England to be under the care of mamma, who had been her great friend. Her reason for making this request was, that Colonel Macdonald would be frequently out on duty, and she knew no one at Bombay to whom she would wish to intrust her daughter during his absence. Her father has been anxiously waiting for an opportunity of sending her with some friends; and it is but lately that he has met with some nice people who will take charge of her. I expect her in about a month. He has sent particular injunctions that her religion is not to be interfered with; but without speaking to her on the subject, we must try to set her a good example, which perhaps will have a better effect. I am longing to see what she is like." "Well," said Agnes, "I hope she will answer your expectations, but it is a great pity that she is not a Catholic. It looks as though she were sent here on purpose to be out of the influence of her Protestant relations. I also had an agreeable surprise this afternoon in receiving a letter from Walter; he seems to be very well and very happy; but he is, of course, very unsettled at present." Edith's toilet being now finished, she proceeded with Agnes to her mother's sitting-room, where Mrs. Percival was awaiting the entrance of her brilliant and accomplished daughter. It was a great privation to her not to be able to accompany her beloved child into society, to watch with a mother's pride every look of admiration which was turned on the lovely girl, who received with such graceful dignity the homage which she was unconscious of attracting. Mrs. Percival, ere she glanced at Edith, made a few kind inquiries of Agnes concerning her brother; she then rang the bell for lights, and some refreshment for the two girls. After "How now, ye secret black and midnight hags, what is't ye do?" said a voice at the door. making this speech in a theatrical tone, Wilfred, Edith's second brother, who was a year younger than herself, entered the apartment. "Is that Miss Falkland? I must apologise for calling you a hag, but I thought there were only my mother and sister here." At this moment lights being brought, Wilfred, looking at Edith, exclaimed: "But who is this? What thing of sea or land,— Female of sex it seems,—that so bedecked, ornate, and gay, Well, Edith, what's up to-night?" continued he, in a lazy tone of voice, throwing himself into an easy chair. "You know very well that I am going to the ball at M——,” replied Edith. "Excuse me, fair damsel, but I was totally |