"Is Major Willoughby staying here?" asked Ellinor, in great displeasure.

"He has that supreme felicity," replied Sefton, with mock gravity.

"Does he make a long stay?" she rejoined.

"Not above a month or two," said Sefton, carelessly; " but he shan't get away if I can keep him; in fact, we cannot do without him."

Ellinor's jealousy increased tenfold on hearing this unwelcome intelligence. Judging of Catherine by herself, she never doubted but that she would give Willoughby every encouragement; and from their being thrown so constantly together, it would, she thought, be little less than a miracle if he were not caught. Her mortification at the bare idea of Catherine being one day Mrs. Willoughby, put her in such bad humour, and rendered her so disagreeable, that Sefton was rejoiced at hearing Mrs Lennox express a wish to return home; and soon

VOL. II.

after the carriage was ordered, and the two pouting ladies were driven from the door.

"Mamma's away! mamma's away!" shouted the overjoyed Clara, jumping through the room, and clapping her hands in ecstasy; "mamma and aunt Ellinor are away, and nobody with me, but my own dear, dear aunt Catherine.-Will mamma and aunt Ellinor ever come back?" she anxiously inquired at Sefton, who was much amused at the joy she expressed at the departure of the ladies.

"If you wish them to come back, I am sure they will return," he replied, laughing. "Shall I open the window and call them ?"

No, no!" exclaimed Clara, terrified at this proposal; "I don't want them to come back; me not want you to let mamma and aunt Ellinor ever come here any more."

"What is that I hear you say, Clara?" said Catherine, gravely.

Clara was silent, but, a few minutes after, seating herself on Willoughby's knee, she

whispered, "Aunt Catherine is angry with me for not loving my mamma; but me can't love her-Do you love her?"

"But you know," said Willoughby, without replying to her question, " that you should do what your aunt desires you."

"Well, but," said Clara, "me can't help not loving mamma. You can't love people that whip you, and are so cross; now I love aunt Catherine, for she is never cross, and never whips me; but aunt Ellinor is bad, bad, and if I love mamma, because aunt Catherine bids me, I won't love aunt Ellinor."

"I think,” whispered Mrs Sefton to Catherine," Mrs and Miss Lennox don't stand very high in Clara's good graces. She is really a fine child."

"She is so, indeed," said Catherine; "but I don't think it proper to encourage her to speak in that way of her mother."

"You are perfectly right to check it," said Mrs Sefton; "though, between our

selves, I am very much of Clara's opinion in regard to your cousins."

"No doubt they have their faults,” replied Catherine; "but they have also their good properties.-And you know, Ellen," she added, smiling," you are very apt to condemn or approve at first sight. As yet you have seen too little of my cousins, to be able to form a correct estimate of their characters."

"The little I have seen of them,” said Mrs Sefton, laughing, " does not make me anxious to see more; but stop-yes, there is one I should like to see a great deal more of, and that is Mr Lennox."

66

Ah," exclaimed Catherine, pleased at hearing Charles praised, "I was sure you would like him; he was always a great favourite of mine."

"Who is this that is such a favourite of yours, Miss Dundas ?" said Sefton, looking up from his book; while Willoughby, who had not heard Charles's name, was listening with such breathless attention to her

reply, as totally to forget to answer the hundred and one questions with which Clara was teasing him.

"What is that to you?" replied his lady; "'tis a pretty thing, indeed, that Catherine and I cannot have a quiet chat in a corner without being cross-questioned in this manner. Catherine, don't you satisfy his curiosity."

"I must confess," he replied, "I have some desire to know who the happy man is who stands so high in the opinion of your friend, whose animated expression, when praising him, first drew my attention to your tête-à-tête."

"We beg, then," said Mrs Sefton," that you will now favour us, by withdrawing your attention from us, for we don't intend to tell you anything about the matter."

While this was going on, Willoughby, who was much vexed at not hearing who the person was that Catherine admired so much, hardly conscious of what he was do