A WELL-MERITED REPROOF. 85 



t( Oh, of course not ; but there are not many such sensible 

 young ladies as Miss Bolleston, who would refuse the glittering 

 bauble when offered to them ; and I suspect, after all, Miss 

 Douglas will not decline to be made a peeress when the proposal 

 is made." 



" What proposal, Mr. "Vernon ? " 



" Oh," replied he, carelessly, " her cousin Malcolm is named 

 for one, and other poor devils of our grand noblesse will, no 

 doubt, put in a bidding, when she is trotted out for sale to the 

 highest bidder, with old Harcourt as auctioneer." 



" You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Mr. Vernon," replied 

 Miss Rolleston, indignantly, " to speak in such disrespectful 

 terms of that sweet girl, whose greatest misfortune may be that 

 she is an heiress." 



A move was now made from the supper-table, and the last 

 on the list being a country dance, Beauchamp claimed Blanche's 

 promise, and they were soon engaged with hands across, down 

 the middle, up again, until she was nearly exhausted with this 

 incessant work. " Come, dear Blanche," he whispered, " this 

 is too much for you, who have been dancing all night. I will 

 not allow you to go on longer, or you will be quite laid up 

 to-morrow. Take my arm, and we will walk about until you 

 are cooler; for I heard Mrs. Harcourt say the carriage was 

 ordered exactly at three, and it is now within a quarter of the 

 time." Beauchamp was leading her to the conservatory again, 

 when she said — 



" Not there, William ; my aunt will be angry if she cannot 

 find us when the carriage arrives." 



" One turn only, dear Blanche, to give up my little present 

 to your keeping ; but do not tremble or fear me, dearest ; the 

 word you apprehend shall not escape my lips again this night." 



When they had reached the upper end, near the orange-trees, 

 Beauchamp, taking Blanche's pocket-handkerchief, tied the 

 little jewel-case in one corner of it, and returned it to her with- 

 out another word or comment. " And now, dear Blanche, we 

 will attend upon your aunt, and I shall send Constance to- 

 morrow to see how you are, as I must be out hunting." 



In a few moments the carriage was announced, and the 

 company began rapidly to disperse. 



And now what are we to say of all William Beauchamp's 

 good resolutions, which had been scattered to the winds ? and 

 his firm determination not to make Blanche Douglas acquainted 

 with the feelings of his heart until she had mixed more in the 



