SELINA FINDS HER MATCH. 323 



in your marriage articles, that the Marquis is to resign his club, 

 or forfeit an additional thousand a-year to you as pin-money." 



" What Marquis are you talking of, Selina ? " 



" Oh, the Marquis par excellence — the all-accomplished, all- 

 learned, most agreeable, most rich, most noble Marquis of Ayr- 

 shire ; who, report says, has laid all his honours, riches, and his 

 own proud, supercilious, precious person, at your feet." 



" My dear Selina, you are talking great nonsense ; he has 

 done nothing of the kind." 



" Ah, well, my dear, then that honour is in store for you. 

 A pleasure only deferred." 



" You are quite mistaken, Selina ; such an idea, perhaps, has 

 never entered into his head ; but our tete-a-tete is at an end, 

 as I see Lord Henry approaching." 



Selina, with the curiosity natural to her sex, was very 

 anxious to ascertain how her friend stood in regard to Beau- 

 champ and Lord Ayrshire ! the latter being openly spoken of as 

 the object of her selection from the host of her other admirers. 

 But Blanche possessed sufficient caution never to betray her 

 secret ; and left Selina in the dark as to her true feelings. 



The next morning, at breakfast, she received a few hurried 

 lines from Beauchamp, informing her that his father had just 

 been summoned to attend the Earl of Annandale, who, being 

 considered by his physician in a declining state, and not likely 

 to recover, they were setting off immediately for the North; 

 but that she should hear from him again, on his arrival at An- 

 nandale Castle. 



On this intelligence being communicated to Malcolm, he ex- 

 claimed : — 



" My stars ! Blanche, here's a go ! as Selina says, Lord 

 Beauchamp and my Lady Constance ! Why, Con, 1" suppose 

 you will order me to the right-about at once ; and as to my 

 Lord Beauchamp, there will be no bearing him now." 



" Titles or riches will never alter either one or the other, 

 Charles," said Mrs. Gordon ; " and I am quite sure that William 

 will never rejoice at any man's death, although that should 

 open his path to title and wealth." 



" Of course not, my dear aunt ; but as people now-a-days do 

 not attain the age of Methuselah, when a man has counted 

 ninety years, he cannot reasonably complain that his span of 

 life has been cut very short ; and this event, whenever it may 

 happen, will place Beauchamp in a position to render Blanche 

 independent of her guardian's powers or favours." 



u 2 



