very shocked if a stranger intruded upon her? but you and I must have some more conversation together, and I do not see how it is to be managed in accordance with what you ladies call les convenances.'

'My mother

began Phillis demurely; and then she paused, and looked up at him in astonishment. What, Mr. Dancy! you purpose to call on my mother, and yet you refused Mr. Drummond's visit ?' for the news of Archie's defeat had already reached the Friary through Miss Mattie.

Mr. Dancy seemed rather nonplussed at this, and then he laughed.

'Ah, you are shrewd, Miss Challoner; there is no deceiving you! I have seen Mr. Drummond pass and repass often enough; andpardon me, if he be a friend-I thought from the cut of his coat that he was a prig, and I have a horror of clerical prigs.'

'He is not priggish in the least,' was Phillis's annoyed rejoinder.

'No? Well, appearances are sometimes deceptive; perhaps I was too hasty in my dread of being bored. But here comes your sister, I think-at least, I have seen you

together; so I am leaving you in good hands;' and, before Phillis could reply, he had lifted his hat and turned away, just as Nan, whose vigilant eyes were upon him, was hurrying to join her sister.

Oh, Phillis, was that Mr. Dancy?' she asked, in a reproachful voice, as she hurried up to her.

'Yes, Nannie; it was Mr. Dancy,' returned Phillis composedly; ' and I wish I could have introduced him to you, for I believe he is coming to call on mother.' And, when she had related this astounding piece of intelligence, she looked in Nan's face and laughed; and, in high good-humour, proceeded to relate their conversation.

NE fine morning in September, Mr.
Drummond was standing at the

back of Milner's Library turning over the last new assortment of books from Mudie, when two gentlemen entered the shop.

Strangers were always interesting to Archie, and he criticized them under a twofold aspect -pastoral and social. In this way curiosity becomes a virtue, and a man with a mission is not without his interests in life. Hadleigh was Mr. Drummond's sheep-walk, where he shepherded his lambs, and looked after his black sheep, and tried to wash them white; or, in default of that, at least to make out that their fleece was not so sable after all:

so he now considered it his duty to leave off turning over the pages of a seductive-looking novel, and to inspect the strangers.

They were both dressed in tweed travelling costumes, and looked sunburnt, as though they had just returned from a walking-tour. The elder was a short wiry man, with a shrewd face and quizzical eyes; and he asked in a sharp clipping voice, that was not free from accent, for the last number of the local paper, containing lists of inhabitants, visitors, etc.

Meanwhile, the younger man walked about the shop whistling softly to himself, as though he had a fund of cheerfulness on hand which must find vent somewhere. When he came opposite Archie, he took a brief survey of him in a careless good-humoured fashion; and then turned on his heel, bestowing a very cursory glance on Miss Masham, who stood shaking her black ringlets after the fashion of shopwomen, and waiting to know the gentleman's pleasure.

No one would have called this young man very good-looking, unless such an one had a secret predilection for decidedly reddish hair and a sandy moustache; but there was an air

of bonhomie, of frank kindness, of boyish fun and pleasantry, that attracted even strangers, and Archie looked after him with considerable interest.

'Oxford cut, father and son-father looks rather a queer customer,' thought Archie to himself.

'Dick, come here!--why, where is that fellow?' suddenly exclaimed the elder man, beginning to put on his eye-glasses very nervously.

'Coming, father.

6

All right-what is it?' returned the imperturbable Dick. He was still whistling Twickenham Ferry' under his breath, as he came to the counter, and leant with both elbows upon it.

'Good gracious, boy, what does this mean?' went on the other, in an irritable perturbed voice; and he read a short advertisement, written in a neat ladylike hand: """ Dressmaking undertaken. Terms moderate, and all orders promptly executed. Apply to-the Misses Challoner, the Friary, Braidwood Road. Ladies waited upon at their own residences." What the he was about to add a stronger term, but, in deference to Miss