her husband's chair; but she did not remain

after sunset, and no mysterious sounds came to disturb her repose.

CHAPTER XI.

FAMILY FAILINGS.

"OH! Mamma, I have seen Frederick," exclaimed Charlotte, as she rushed. into the drawing-room through the open window. "He is in the garden, and wants so much to see you."

Lucy felt displeased at his intruding; and a sort of vague dread lest Augustus should have sent him, made her angry.

Oh, do see him, Mamma! and don't be

angry

with poor Frederick, for he is so afraid of

his uncle; he says that if Mr. Derwent knew

Frederick had been in our garden, he would be

so angry."

"Then why did he come there?" enquired Lucy, somewhat softened.

"He could not help it, for he was playing at trap-ball with Leonard Smith, and the ball came over our wall, so he climbed over to get it; and then when he saw us, he came and spoke so kindly, and I saw the tears in his eyes when he asked how you were ; and he said he would give anything to see you; so do let him come in, will you dear Mamma ?"

"Well I will come with you into the garden but-"

Lucy felt that she could not explain why she objected to see the boy, and so she relented, and allowed Charlotte to lead her towards the farther end of the garden.

"How very kind this is," said Frederick, with a beaming smile that lightened up his

countenance not generally prepossessing, and softened his usually harsh expression, while he seized Lucy's hand, and pressed it with an air of admiring reverence to his lips.

Sir Frederick Renton was now a tall and handsome boy, and had become apparently much more amiable than he was as a child.

Lucy admired his beauty, and was amused by his wit; but she was often much startled by an expression on his face, that made her feel as if he were harbouring a serpent's venom beneath that fair exterior. On that evening, however, there was a somewhat shy bashfulness in his air, which softened his proud and domineering look, and he spoke in a low and gentle tone.

He mentioned, with quivering lips, the anxiety he and his uncle had suffered; "yet it has been most trying," he added, "that uncle Derwent has never allowed me to come and in

quire after you. It seems so very hard, does it not? and I am sure you would pity him and let him come sometimes, if you knew how very miserable he is."

Lucy shook her head and turned away.

I cannot, indeed, see any one," she said; and then, fearing lest the boy would think her unkind, she put out her hand and wished him "good bye."

Sir Frederick again pressed it to his lips, and without saying another word, rushed away, and hastily scaled the wall at the place where he had come into the garden.

But he did not resume his game of ball with the young Smiths, for he told them he had forgotten that he was forced to return home early that evening.

So he walked towards Rollston Farm, or rather ran with bounding steps, for he was in unusually high spirits, and his proud features had entirely lost the subdued expression