tunity of sketching her face in my prayerbook.

At last the young curate had ceased his platitudes and his attitudes, and the service was over. I put my shilling in the red velvet bag and then walked out. At the door of the church stood a well-appointed landau with a tall powdered flunky at its side. The Trevennis party, the last of all the congregation, approached the carriage, the footman touched his hat and opened the door. I overheard the following conversation:

'Helen, it is such a beautiful day, that I think I shall walk,' said the elderly lady. 'As you like, aunt,' said Lady Trevennis. Perhaps you had better take Reggie with you; the walk will do him good. I shall drive, for I feel always so tired after church; I think it is because the sermons go in at one ear and come out at the other that they affect the brain in their passage

-anyway they always give me a headache,' laughed she as she entered the carriage.

'I wish they would sink into your heart, Helen,' said the elder lady gravely.

'Sink?' replied Lady Trevennis; 'well, they are heavy enough. Au revoir !' and her ladyship kissed her well-gloved hand to her aunt, and the next minute the carriage drove off.

As I entered my hotel, Mr. Newton was on the steps surveying with cynical eyes the congregation wending their way homewards.

Said he to me, 'Well, sir, I hope you liked the service and the sermon.'

The service very much; but the sermon was, I must own, like nearly all sermons-a failure,' replied I.

'Yes, sir, I have no doubt about it. At this dull time of the year the St. Allbosh clergy don't care to exert themselves; they are like our bathing-machines-only drawn

out in the season.

sir ??

You saw her ladyship,

I answered in the affirmative; and after making a few comparisons between Lady Trevennis and my picture, I retired to my

room.

CHAPTER III.

FIRST ACQUAINTANCESHIP.

'But as your charms insensibly
To their perfection prest,
So love as unperceived did fly,
And center'd in my breast.'

NOW set to work hard at my picture. The difficulty which before existed with regard to the expression of my study was removed by the sight of Lady Trevennis. I had now only to imitate, and not create; and with my mind vividly impressed with the face and features of my accidental model, that was no difficult task.

One morning, after I had been boxed up in my room for a week busily engaged in

painting, I put on my hat, lit my cigar, and

VOL. I.

E

resolved to take a long ramble in the country around Weedoncliffe and lunch at some little rural inn. It was a splendid day; the sky as blue as an Italian lake, and the sea as still as the sky. The Creator seemed to smile on the created; for all was bright and sunny. I wended my way along the cliffs, and then turned to the right as soon as I was out of the town and walked inland. My thoughts were naturally engrossed with my picture, and depression had given place to that feeling of sanguine excitement which most men experience when assured of success. And I felt success now awaited me. As, morning after morning, I gazed upon the face which my imagination had first depicted, and which had been so strangely realised by the presence of Lady Trevennis, and saw its features and colouring gradually assuming the expression I had been so long trying to attain, I was convinced that, what