"So many friends!" repeated Lacy to himself, and stole an inquiring glance at Agnes, who was then talking to Miss Bagshawe, and did not notice his appealing look.

"Mrs. B., Mr. Lacy, my dear, that was so civil to me abroad," said Mr. Bagshawe to his wife, rushing, with bustling eagerness, into the business of introduction. "Mr. Lacy, Mrs. Bagshawe; our junior branches," pointing to his family, "my daughters; my son Richard, our eldest hope-all come to view the house. You met me last, Sir, on a foreign tour, you now meet me on a home tour-a curious coincidence. The fact is, we have now on our way to

been at Cheltenham and are the Lakes. It is our usual practice, Mr. Lacy, to go somewhere every year."

Here Mrs. Bagshawe chimed in with a declaration that a little outing did them all a world of good.

"Yes, pursued her husband, eagerly translating her simple meaning into his more ostentatious phraseology; "we derive much benefit from our excursions, benefit both to our minds and bodies, as I sometimes observe to Mrs. B. Depend upon it there is nothing like travelling. Was not it Dr. Johnson, Sir, who said there was no pleasure in life like moving rapidly in a post-chaise?"

Lacy assented.

"We came in our own carriage," said Mrs. Bagshawe, who feared lest any misconception should arise from her husband's quotation in praise of an humbler mode of conveyance.

"True, my dear, so we did. A noble mansion, this, Mr. Lacy, and worthy of a noble owner. I have just been talking to his lordship. His lordship did us the honour to pass through and point out one or two of the pictures that were most worthy of our attention. " He then proceeded to en

is

large upon the subject of Lord Appleby, his house, and his collection, repeating by the way many of the remarks which he had previously made to Agnes.

Much of this desertation was, however, lost upon Lacy, whose thoughts had been otherwise diverted by hearing the word "cousin" applied to Agnes by Miss Bagshawe, and from that moment he had been attentive to the conversation of the two young ladies. Knowing the humble origin of the Mortons, it caused in him no great surprise to find that Agnes was related to vulgar people; yet still the contrast between their inelegance and her refinement was such as to create a momentary shock. He felt also some curiosity to see how she would conduct herself under circumstances so humiliating.

During the conversation between Lacy and Mr. Bagshawe, Agnes had endeavoured to point out to her cousins those objects which she thought most likely to amuse them. Miss Bagshawe, with a silly, half-bred affectation, sometimes seeming to assume an air of superior taste, sometimes disclaiming all pretensions to any, disdained to be amused with any thing she saw around her, and tried to establish her pretensions to vivacity and worldly knowledge, by detailing some watering-place tittletattle, and chattering about balls and concerts. Her manner had become more affected since the appearance of Lacy, whose favourable notice she could not help wishing to attract. She was good looking, and might have been even admired if she could have let herself alone, and not, by dint of striving to be over manneriy, spoiled the effect of all that nature had done in her behalf. She tossed her head, rolled her eyes, giggled laboriously at nothing, and could not walk across the room without such multifarious contortions! such glidings, and sinkings, and sail

ings, and divings! all which Lacy's quick eye had unsparingly observed, and his suppressed smile of ridicule was, to Agnes, sufficiently intelligible.

Had the object been an indifferent person, she might have been equally amused; but in the present instance she felt distressed for her cousin, who was quite incapable of perceiving the ridicule to which she exposed herself.

All the shame which Agnes felt for Miss Bagshawe, and still more, did this young lady feel for the childish manners and simple curiosity of her younger sisters, who, being perfectly natural, conveyed no similar impression to the minds of Agnes or of Lacy. Vulgar minds are often most accessible to the feelings of false shame, and Miss Bagshawe was constantly in agonies at the hoydenish naiveté of Misses Lucy and Arabella, who, unrestrained by the presence of Lacy, chattered unreservedly, and attacked Agnes with frequent questions, as, how old Lady Appleby was? how much the Miss Tyrwhitts spent in dress? whether they lived all the year upon venison? and whether the carpet upon which they were then walking was a Turkey one?

"What can it signify," said Miss Bagshawe, in a reproving tone; then, turning to Agnes, "I assure you, cousin, I am not at all curious about the Applebys. They tell me," lowering her voice, "that Mr. T., the heir, is not by any means agreeable, at least that was what I heard at Cheltenham. Apropos, of that I ought to tell you that we have been very gay there. It really is the sweetest place! I am sure if you had been there you would rave about it. There is such an immense deal of visiting! and that you like, I know you do; I am sure you are rather a rake at heart. We had assemblies every week; and the country about it is all so lovely; we used to take such charming rides in our open carriage."

VOL I.

7

"It is a barouche landau," said Miss Lucy.

"Well, child, I am not a coachmaker, nor my cousin either. Do learn to express yourself properly. Such charming rides we used to take! Oh, and we saw so many people that we knew! Yes, and we heard of you too," said she, looking significantly; "there were many pressing inquiries made after you, I assure you, by a certain gentleman that shall be nameless."

"Poor gentleman," said Agnes, "why must he be nameless?"

"La, cousin! how can you?" said Miss Bagshawe, surprised at her composure, and disappointed in the expectation of rallying her into a silly display of coquettish embarrassment. "I am sure you must know whom I mean, a very old flirt of yours.'

"Very old is he? I am sure I don't know, but I am prepared to feel a great respect for him."

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Nay, but he is a young man."

"Oh, I beg his pardon: a young man but an old flirt."

"Now are not you dying to know his name?" pursued Miss Bagshawe, vexed at having her intimation so calmly received. "I am sure you must be curious.””I

"I shall not object to your telling me."

"Well, then," whispering, "Major Chatterley." "Oh! Major Chatterley," repeated Agnes, aloud, without exhibiting more emotion at the explosion of this secret, than if a four-legged puppy had been the subject of their conversation.

Nevertheless she was much annoyed at her cousin's ill-bred tone of raillery, and the more so, as she was conscious that every syllable was heard by Lacy. She had, however, too much native dignity of feeling to allow herself to be disconcerted, and too much firm command of temper, to manifest, by word or look, the mingled feelings of vexation

which she experienced during the visit. Her annoyance had been greatest, and she had to struggle most earnestly against the suggestions of wounded pride, during the period of Lacy's presence. She had already witnessed instances of the quickness with which he seized a subject for ridicule, and at the same time the ancient grudge between their houses had perhaps rendered her fearful of lowering her dignity in. his eyes. Besides she knew his aristocratic prejudices, and probably contempt of her low connexions; and added to all this was a growing solicitude for his good opinion, which could not perhaps be traced to any of the abovementioned causes, and of which she became conscious for the first time.

Little, however, need she have feared lest her association with the Bagshawes should have lowered her in the estimation of Lacy. On the contrary, it had dispelled many of the impressions which he had allowed himself to entertain. He had thought her a deceptive being, tricked out in forced refinement, which not being of natural growth, would fade away under the influence of untoward situation. He had now seen her undergo an ordeal quite as severe as his harshest wishes could have anticipated, and she had risen superior from the trial. Her unpretending frankness and kindness Shak of manner, towards beings whom she must secret-/ ly despise, her cheerful endeavour to accommodate herself to their uncongenial natures, her unconscious superiority, displayed in spite of herself, in every word and gesture, all struck Lacy very foreibly; and when he considered the contrast between the affected graces of Miss Bagshawe, and the unstudied elegance of Agnes, he was hurt to think that he should have been led by prejudice to imagine, for an instant, that one particle of vulgarity could have existed in such a being. His eyes were suddenly opened; a mist had been dispelled, and he