ing her he had finished his breakfast long since, and she had better go and ring for hers now, but that he should always be glad of her company to join him any morning at nine o'clock that she liked.

As he rose with punctilious politeness to open the door for her exit, Clara could not but admire the remains of manly beauty, which Lady St. Clair had told her he possessed; and his upright figure, and active manner made him look younger than he really was, joined to that indescribable elegance of manner which is a sure criterion of high birth.

Our heroine had scarcely completed her solitary meal, to her always the most disagreeable part of being alone, when Lady St. Clair's maid entered with a message from her lady, to request Miss Cameron's company in her ladyship's dressing-room. She found her aunt in very different looks to those of the night before. Still she was beautiful; but, though only twenty-eight,

she would now almost be called passée, so comparatively pale was the glow of her cheek, and dim the lustre of her eye. She held out her hand kindly to Clara, but with less empressement than she had done the preceding evening. Her tones also had more of lassitude as she said, "I had a delightful party last night, but it broke up early, and I am proportionately tired this morning; you can't think how going to bed before three o'clock tires me; you may laugh, but it is so. Well now let us fix our plans for to-day. This is Opera

night, and after that a party at Lady Belton's. I have asked some men to dinner to go with us to the Opera, but before then we must modernize your dress a little. Madame will make you fit to be seen by seven o'clock. We will have the carriage now, and go there directly. I will have the vis-a-vis, and then you can go that short distance without the odious bonnet which frightened me so last night. We can

soon choose one more becoming, I think; and when this momentous affair of dress is over, for momentous I do assure you it is, we can take a drive in the park after luncheon."

We will pass over the discussions which ensued at Madame *** on the merits of white satin and white crape, &c., &c., and bring our heroine into Lady St. Clair's drawing-room at seven o'clock, dressed even to please the French taste of Mademoiselle Violette, and, to use her expression, looking "tout à fait charmante."

The Countess was seated on a chaise lounge, talking earnestly with a tall fashionable-looking man, handsome, but having decidedly the look of a roué. She smiled one of her brilliant smiles as Clara approached (and she could scarcely believe her to be the same person she had seen in the morning), and taking her hand with inimitable grace said, "Let me introduce Lord St. Clair's niece, Miss Cameron, to you Mr. Caven

dish. Miss Cameron, Mr. Ernest Cavendish. Clara, I ought to tell you that much of your success in the fashionable world depends upon Mr. Cavendish's judgment first passed upon you; therefore, smile sweetly upon him and secure a favourable opinion."

We pass over the silly compliments, and empty trifling which followed, when a knock proclaimed another visitor, and Captain Macdonald was announced. Her Ladyship held out her hand on his approach, and Lord St. Clair gave him a friendly and cordial welcome. The usual forms of introduction being gone through with Miss Cameron, the two young men acknowledged each other by rather a distant bend of the head.

Captain Macdonald, though equally tall with Mr. Cavendish, looked less strikingly so from being more slightly made; and altogether a more youthful figure, if the term may be applied to a Captain in the Guards. There was less of show and glare

in his appearance and manners, but he was more elegant, and if not equally fashionable, was yet more distingué in his appearance, if the readers of these pages understand the difference wished to be drawn. There was a manly openness and grace in his manners which made him an universal favourite, joined to an extremely pleasing countenance, if not what could be termed really handsoine, but possessing that indescribable style of feature which plainly told he was of the highest aristocratic birth. His high and open forehead was shaded by waving hair of a light brown, and his gentle blue eyes might have given him almost an air of effeminacy, had not the whole contour of his countenance borne the impress of manly dignity.

Mr. Cavendish bestowed his attentions almost exclusively on Lady St. Clair, taking little notice of what was going on generally. Thus, Captain Macdonald was thrown much with Clara; and their conversation con