only you see no one else could either do it, or be the same to Sophy.'

'Persian,' observed Mr. Kendal, smiling thoughtfully, 'that might not do amiss. We will see how it is.'

With which Albinia was obliged to be content; but in the meantime she saw Sophy and her father making daily progress in intimacy, and Mr. Kendal beginning to take a pride in his daughter's understanding and information, which he ascribed to Albinia, in spite of all her disclaimers. It was as if she had evoked the spirit of his lost son, which had lain hidden under the sullen demeanour of Sophy, devoid indeed of many of Edmund's charms, but yet with the same sterling qualities, and with resemblance enough to be an infinite and unexpected joy and compensation.

Mr. Kendal enjoyed his stay in town to the utmost. He visited libraries, saw pictures, and heard good music, with the new zest of having a wife beside him able to enter into his tastes. He met several of his own old friends, and did not shrink immoderately from those of his wife; nay, he found them extremely agreeable, and was pleased to see Albinia welcomed among them. Indeed, his sojourn in her former sphere served to make him wonder that she could be so well contented with Bayford, and to find her, of the whole party, by far the most ready to return home. Both he himself and Sophy had an unavowed dread of the influences of Willow Lawn; but Albinia had a spring of spirits, independent of place, and happy as she was in Mayfair, was craving for her duties, anxious to have the journey over, and afraid that London was making her little Maurice grow pale.

Their homeward travels were performed with much more comfort. Albinia, not being in an agony, did not unnecessarily disturb herself or her companions. Mr. Kendal contrived skilfully for Sophy's ease, and though she was very much tired, she did not suffer so much as fore.

s Meadows was the first person whom they saw at oor of Willow Lawn. Two letters had passed en her and Albinia, both so conventionally civil, hopes, fears, and inquiries, that her state of mind not be gathered from them; but her first tones d that coherence was more than ever wanting; and e attempted to understand anything she said, while nfolded Sophy in an agitated embrace, kissed them nd marshalled them to the drawing-room, where hief of the apologies were spent upon Sophy's new , which had been sent down the day before by the ge-train, and which she and Eweretta had attempted t together in an impossible way, failing which, they alled in the carpenter, who had made it some degrees

e.

he advantage it was to the Kendal family that she had ke the initiative in excuses is untold. The couch's ter occupied her, and she did not once molest Sophy all her things had been quietly taken off, and she lying down on the sofa waiting for tea. Sophy was so

with weariness, that she took pretty well all the kind etting that could not be averted from her, and Miss dows's discourse seemed chiefly to tend to assurances Mrs. Kendal was right, and grandmamma was nervous nd poor Mr. Bowles-it could not be expected-with Es of the wonderful commotion the sudden flight to don had excited at Bayford. As soon as Mr. Kendal tted the room, these hints were converted into someg between expostulation, condolence, and congratu

on.

it was so very fortunate-so very lucky that dear Mr. ndal had come home with her, for-she had said she uld let Mrs. Kendal hear, if only that she might be on guard-people were so ill-natured-there never was ch a place for gossip-not that she heard it from anyone t Mrs. Drury, who really now had driven in-not that

she believed it, but to ascertain the fact.-For Mrs. Drury had been told-mentioning no names-oh, no! for fear of making mischief-she had been told that Mrs. Kendal had actually been into Mr. Kendal's study, which was always kept locked up, and there she had either read a letter, or made some other discovery, which had distressed her so much that she had gone at once to Mr. Dusautoy, and by his advice had fled from home to put herself under the keeping of her brother in Canada.

'Without waiting for Bluebeard to ask for the key! Oh, Maria!' cried Albinia, in a fit of laughter, while Sophia sat up on the sofa in speechless indignation.

You may laugh, Mrs. Kendal, if you please,' said Maria, with tart dignity, 'I have told you nothing but the truth. I should have thought for my part, but that's of no consequence, it was as well to be on one's guard in a nest of vipers, for Edmund's sake, if not for your own.” And as this last speech convulsed Albinia the more, and rendered her incapable of reply, poor Miss Meadows became pathetic. I am sure the pains I have taken to trace out and contradict—and so nervous as grandmamma has been- "I'm sure, Mrs. Drury," said I, "that though Edmund Kendal does lock his study-door, nobody ever thought anything-the housemaids go in to clean it-and I've been in myself when the whitewashers were about the house—I'm sure Mrs. Kendal is a most amiable young woman, and you wouldn't raise reports." "No," she said, "but Mrs. Osborne was positive that Mrs. Kendal was nearly an hour shut up alone in the study the night of Sophy's accident-and so sudden," she said, "the carriage being sent for-not a servant knew of it—and then,” she said, "it was always the talk among the girls, that Mr. Kendal kept his study a forbidden place."

'Then,' said Sophia slowly, as she looked full at her aunt, 'it was the Osbornes who dared to say such wicked things.'

here now, I never meant you to be there. You ought gone to bed, child. It is not a thing for you to anything about.'

only want to know whether it was the Osbornes who bout these stories,' said Sophy, with a firm resolute

Iy dear,' exclaimed Albinia, 'what can it signify? are only excessively ridiculous and a very good joke. 1 not think there had been so much imagination in ord.' And off she went laughing again.

They are very wicked,' said Sophy; Aunt Maria, I know if it was Mrs. Osborne who told the story.' ophy's will was too potent for Miss Meadows, and the ission was extracted from her in a burst of other odds ends, in the midst of which Albinia beheld Sophy s the room with a deliberate, determined step. Flying r her, she found her in the hall, wrapping herself in a tle.

Sophy, what is this? What are you about??

Let me alone,' said Sophy, straining against her aining hand, 'I do not know when I shall go out in, and I will go at once and tell the Osbornes that I ve done with them. I stuck to them because I thought ey were my mother's friends; I did not guess that they uld make an unworthy use of my friendship, and invent cked stories of my father and you.'

Please don't make me laugh, Sophy, for I don't want affront you. Yes, it is generous feeling; I don't wonder u are angry; but indeed silly nonsense like this is not orth it. It will die away of itself; it must be dead ready, now they have seen we have not run away to anada. Your heroics only make it more ridiculous.'

'I must tell Loo never to come here with her hypocrisy,' epeated Sophy, standing still, but not yielding an inch.

Miss Meadows pursued them at the same moment with >roken protestations that they must forget it, she never

meant to make mischief, &c. and the confusion was becoming worse confounded when Mr. Kendal emerged from the study, demanding what was the matter, to the great discomfiture of Maria, who began hushing Sophy, and making signs to Albinia that it would be dangerous for him to know anything about it.

But Albinia was already exclaiming, 'Here's a champion wanting to do battle with Louisa Osborne in our cause! 0 Edmund! our neighbours could find no way of accounting for my taking French leave, but by supposing that I took advantage of being shut in there, while poor little Maurice was squalling so furiously, to rifle your secrets, and detect something so shocking, that away I was fleeing to William's protection in Canada.'

'Obliging,' quietly said Mr. Kendal, and Sophy was amazed to see more diversion than anger in his countenance.

'Now, dear Edmund-I know-for my sake-for everything's sake, remember you are a family man, don't take any notice-I didn't mean the Admiral—'

'I certainly shall take no notice of such folly,' said Mr. Kendal with his grave smile, and I wish that no one else should. What are you about, Sophia?

'Tell mamma to let me go, Papa,' she exclaimed; '1 must and will tell Louisa that I hate her baseness and hypocrisy, and then I'll never speak to her again. Why will mamma laugh? It is very wicked of them.'

'Wrong in them, but laughing is the only way for us to treat it,' said Mr. Kendal. Go back to your sofa and forget it. Your aunt and I have heard Bayford reports before.'

Sophy obeyed in going back to her sofa, but very unwillingly, and she was far too much incensed to forget. On her aunt's taking leave, and Mr. Kendal offering his escort up the hill, she rose up again, and would have perpetrated a denunciation by letter, had not Albinis seriously argued the case with her, beginning with the