CHAPTER XX. ·

ANTICIPATIONS.

"COUSIN MARY is coming to-morrow!" said, or rather sang, Charlotte Mandeville, about three weeks after the events recorded in the last chapter, as she danced into the room repeating the words to the air of a popular waltz.

It was her father's old study, and her brother Hubert was writing at a table in the recess of one of the deep windows.

"Cousin Mary is coming to-morrow!" she repeated, and whirled round and round the room,

while her graceful figure in its light muslin dress beamed like a ray of sunshine against the dark walls, and her gladsome voice seemed to fill its often mournful echoes with a birdlike melody.

Then, with a light pirouette and a profound curtsey, she stopped suddenly before her brother's table.

Are you so glad, my poor Charlotte ?" said he, looking up at her with a grave smile on his lips, while his dark eyes seemed to show that his thoughts were still engrossed by his Greek ode.

Beg pardon for interrupting you," said Charlotte with a slight tinge of her old pettish manner. "Yes, I am glad Mary is coming, for since you have taken to study so dreadfully hard"

"Dreadfully ?"

'Yes, dreadfully, because the doctor says

it will be the death of you; and, besides, you

VOL. II.

never help me now to cheer poor mamma; and Dr. Short says her spirits ought to be kept up. He said, 'My dear young lady, your mamma is suffering from hysteria, and your brother has outgrown his strength, and so forth; and if he does not take proper nourishment and so forth;" and Charlotte mimicked so exactly the little doctor's stoop and hesitating manner, that Hubert could not help laughing.

"But, dear Charlotte, you know I must study; for I am the only person who can do anything for you or my mother; and I want to prepare for college, that is, if-if-I can ever go there."

And the thought of the bitter disappointment it would be if his father-in-law could not pay for his going to the University, depressed him so much, that he leant his head on his hand with a look of despair.

"Do not be cast down, it is no use to fret." "Ah, you think me stupid, I know," she continued, seeing a look of contempt on his

proud lip: "you think I am unfeeling, and too stupid to see what may be coming, and that this present prosperity can't last,-that papa will soon lose it all again. Well, I am stupid, but I sometimes think it is very lucky, for I enjoy the present day, and help to make people cheerful."

"I am very glad you can, but I must think of the future."

"I know you must, but I wish you would not see so very far off, and through everything and everybody; you appear to me to see all round everything too-you look on every side," she continued, pointing with her little hand round the massive old inkstand, as if to illustrate her meaning.

And as her rosy fingers and dimpled round hand flitted with butterfly lightness over the books and papers, it formed a striking contrast to that of her brother. His was thin and pale, yet it had an expression of power and command,

and the rather massive thumb indicated a strong will; but the blue prominent veins betrayed the care and feverish anxiety from which he too often suffered.

"You see," continued Charlotte, "you see

where nobody else can,-the back and sides, and all round everything; so you never agree with, or please anybody quite; and so few ple understand you at all."

"Frederick does."

peo

'Ah, I sometimes wish he did not, for I am afraid he will lead you into trouble," said Charlotte.

"You are very hard upon Frederick now; yet you used to like him so much better than I did, when we were children."

Yes, you hated him then, and I can't think why you stand up for him now, when everybody condemns him-conceited puppy as he is."

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Perhaps that is the reason I take his part,