After the usual topics of a morning call were gone through, Lady St. Clair hoped she might have the pleasure of seeing the children, who were immediately sent for, and such a bawling and screaming forthwith ensued along the passage, as Clara had never heard before. Master Frederick rushed into the room first, pushing Miss Brown down at the same time, while little Miss Fanny contrived to pinch her fingers in the door, and such a howl ensued as was only to be equalled by the roar of the baby, a great fat boy of ten months old, when he saw there were strangers in the room.

In the midst of this din, Mr. Brown happily came in from his ride, and helped his wife to soothe the storm. Master Frederick was called, "a naughty rude boy" for pushing his sister, but kissed at the same time, while Miss Brown was picked up and promised a piece of cake if she would "only hush and be quiet," and little Fanny's pinched fingers were cured by a sugar-plum out of

papa's pocket. Now there was only the baby to pacify, who, taken on his mamma's knee, was beginning to amuse himself by pulling a large gilt chain suspended round her neck, and holding a locket with all the little darling's hair in it, tied together with gold thread.

"What an amazingly fine boy this is!" said Lady St. Clair, attempting to take a hand which was crammed into his mouth. "I like to see children shy at this age; but I must look particularly at the size of his head, for I fear a blue satin hat and feathers, which I could not resist bringing him from London, will want a little letting out, but that I dare say your ingenuity can contrive, Mrs. Brown. Do not you think blue will suit him delightfully, and the shape of this hat pleased me extremely as being something quite new. I am sure he will be the admiration of the town, for it is so difficult to get a pretty hat for a child in the country."

"Yes, that indeed it is," said Mrs. Brown, "I am always very particular that the shape should be genteel; and I am sure it is most kind of you, my Lady, to have thought of our baby. Is it not, Mr. Brown?"

"Yes, my dear," said the smiling Mr. Brown, "I certainly take it as a particular favour."

"But," added the Countess, hesitating, "this is very unfortunate, I hear there is to be a severe contest for Kingsland on poor Mr. Danvers's death, and, as every little thing is watched and made of consequence in these times, and I hear Mr. Brown takes the other side, his little boy must not wear the enemy's colours. I am so sorry, I thus cannot send you the blue hat. I shall throw it in the fire, for as I intended it for this fine little fellow, no other shall wear it."

Poor Mrs. Brown looked beseechingly at her husband, who could not resist the pathetic appeal, and with flushed cheeks he

"Really I think people make very free with my name, in asserting which party I shall advocate. I never said I was a Tory, or should favour the Tory candidate-on the contrary, I think there is a great deal which needs reform. Do not look so distressed, my dear, at the loss to our boy, I see no reason in the world why we should not avail ourselves of Lady St. Clair's obliging present; and, when the time comes, I shall be very happy to wear a blue ribbon

in

my button-hole too, if her Ladyship will give me one."

"This is indeed delightful," exclaimed the Countess; "from what I had heard I feared your influence was going quite the other way, Mr. Brown; and, as we all know how much weight it carries into which ever scale it is thrown, I do not wonder that the opposition wished to make it appear their own. I am very glad that I chanced to mention the subject this morning, for going on in

this error I should have feared to ask you to any of our Whig parties, which in the event of an election we must have, and which in the other case might have been disagreeable to yourself. I shall not fail to tell Lord St. Clair to put your name down first as one of the liberal electors of Kingsland. I will send the little hat to-morrow Mrs. Brown, and you must bring the little fellow some day to St. Clair Park to show me how handsome he looks in it."

"That will be a great honour," simpered Mr. Brown. "I will certainly avail myself of your obliging permission some fine morning, and drive Mrs. Brown and the little fellow over."