CROSS-PURPOSES. 57 



" There is no station, save one, to which Miss Douglas may 

 not aspire," replied Beauchamp, in the same quiet, indifferent 

 tone of voice. 



"We certainly shall not give our consent to her marrying 

 any person who has not an equivalent in fortune or in rank ; 

 but I believe she is already attached to her cousin, Lord 

 Malcolm, whom we are expecting at Throseby, next month." 



Her eyes were riveted on Beauchamp as she uttered this 

 last sentence, but a steady, firm look was all she coidd discover 

 there — no embarrassment was perceptible ; only a slight curl 

 on his upper lip told Mrs. Harcourt, as plainly as words, that 

 Wiliam Beauchamp thoroughly understood her. She was not, 

 however, aware of a fact, known as yet to himself and one other 

 person only, that Lord Malcolm's affections had been given to 

 another. 



Believed from Mrs. Harcourt's catechising, and roused by 

 her insinuation, Beauchamp took his revenge by immediately 

 joining Blanche and Constance, who now left the piano, and he 

 attached himself to them for the remainder of the evening. 



On returning to the drawing-room, Vernon remarked this 

 happy party, and again began his comments to Mrs. Harcourt 

 on Beauchamp' s attentions to her niece. 



" Did you notice Miss Douglas/' he asked, " when the acci- 

 dent happened, by that old stupid man upsetting the tea 1 ' 



" Yes," she said, " Mr. Vernon, I did ; and any young girl, 

 when suddenly frightened, as she must have been, would natu- 

 rally change colour and feel agitated ; even at my age, such an 

 occurrence would have made me nervous. But Mr. Beauchamp 

 has been enlightened by me, since you left the room, as to our 

 expectations with regard to my niece, and the communication 

 was received with the most perfect indifference, so that I am 

 quite satisfied his intentions are merely those of a neighbour to- 

 one he has known from childhood ; particularly as I informed 

 him, also, of Blanche's attachment to her cousin, Lord Malcolm, 

 which did not excite the least surprise." 



" Well, Mrs. Harcourt, although you may be satisfied, I am 

 not." 



" And pray, Mr. Vernon, may I ask, why you take such an 

 extraordinary interest in my niece 1 " 



" Simply, madam, because I should be sorry to see her 

 thrown away upon such a clod of a fox-hunter as "W ill Beau- 

 champ." 



"Indeed, Mr. Vernon, I ought to feel much obliged by 



