lang be troubled wi' me," said Tibby, in indignant wrath. "I've shared my kinsmon's prosperity, and I'll share his adversity, but na under your roof, madam. Once acquent wi' this insult to Annie and mysel', he'll na trouble ye lang, I'm thinking. Come, Annie, we're here too lang, lassie. Incumbrances, indeed! incumbrances to a Miss Gubbs that was!" Mrs. Lindsay, fearing the result of Miss Tibby's wrath, called after her in vain. The indignant spinster would not hear, and, reaching her own room, shut herself up there with Annie, to await Mr. Lindsay's return, that she might report the "awfu' insult she had received fra Mistress Lindsay," and urge his prompt removal. CHAPTER LVII. "To thy false lover hie! BURNS. Mrs. Lindsay was far from comfortable in her own mind, after her violent encounters with all her brother's pets and protégés. Certainly she had had great provocation, but Conscience whispered that before the receipt of the letter announcing his ruin, no carelessness or awkwardness of Grunter's, no injuries inflicted by the cockatoo on her furniture or herself, and no attacks of Capricorn's or the spaniels', would have provoked her to use a harsh word to Miss Tibby, or to Annie. She dreaded not merely the contempt of her brother-in-law, but the resentment of her husband. She at heart wished to be rid of Mr. Lindsay, Julian, and all his train; but the habit of conciliating and courting them all, made her feel strangely uneasy, at the recollection of the sudden and violent manner in which she had thrown off a yoke, till then so gladly worn! Poor matchmaker! not only herself, but all her plans, had been suddenly upset. "However, how lucky that Augusta was not formally pledged to her ruined cousin! that there had been no actual offer, no positive engagement. People might think what they pleased, but no one had a right to say any thing. Of course, poor Julian was very much to be pitied, but he really had not behaved well. If he had married Augusta some months ago, some part of the fortune would, of course, have been settled on her, and he would not now be a beggar!...... No; on the whole he was very much to blame; it was a sad affair, but the sooner it was over, and Augusta engaged to Sir Peter, the better for all parties. There was no engagement, that was very lucky; Augusta had owned there was no positive engagement." And this was the woman who for some weeks had rejoiced in the idea that it was quite a settled thing, and made all the mothers and daughters of her acquaintance writhe as she enumerated Julian's advantages. Augusta was standing at her window gasping for air, when Sir Peter drove up in his four-inhand. The matchmaker hastened to her daughter's room. "Where are you, my darling?" she said, "remember your promise; look at those beautiful greys, my child! Dear me! if there isn't poor Mrs. Evelyn, actually at the washtub!..... Oh, what a dreadful thing poverty is!... It would break my heart to see you in such a state as that but, after all, no one can tell. I am not sure Sir Peter is to The be had now. paper this morning talks of him for the second daughter of Lord Dartmoor, the great beauty. Of course she would jump at such a match; who would not? He told me she was a very fine girl.' "When did he say that?" asked Augusta, anxiously, the prize she had spurned before becoming valuable the moment it seemed beyond her reach. "Oh, yesterday. I thought he was going to ask my opinion about proposing to her. I am sure he was, but I deterred him by telling him in confidence that I thought you meant to refuse Julian." "Do I not look very ill, mamma, wretchedly pale ?" "You do, indeed, my love; but come into my dressing-room; for once a touch of art may be forgiven !" When Augusta entered the drawing-room, brilliantly beautiful, her colour was not all |