lantha the free use of his purse in aid of any plan that she might think best for his advantage. They talked of educating him to take Orders, and Mr. Chandos promised to provide him with a small living. CHAPTER XIV. "Let wreaths of triumph now my temples twine, The victory is mine!" LUCILLA triumphed as usual in all she under took. She soon talked her father over. What in Calantha had been romantic exaggeration, in Lucilla was a charming generosity and enthusiasm, which carried her perhaps, sometimes beyond the limits of prudence, but was the result of a heart too warm to be resisted. Kitty and Gideon came down to dessert hand in hand. A change might have been observed upon Mr. Chandos's countenance as thus they entered the dining-room. He called his little girl hastily to him, and placed her, as usual, upon his knee; Lucilla, at the opposite side of the table, lavished sweetmeats, cakes, and caresses, upon Gideon. She, quick and observing, had detected that change, which to no one else had been apparent, upon her husband's countenance. She despised him for his pride and ingratitude, and enhanced upon her demonstrations of kindness in order to shew him that she did. She even called to her little girl to come to her round the table, but he held her tighter than usual, even with him, that day, and saying,— "No, no-Kitty belongs to me at dessert," would not let her go. "Take that pretty sugar strawberry to Kitty, Gideon," said Lucilla, resolved not to yield to her husband's nonsense. Gideon, who felt excessively shy and uncomfortable all this time, hesitated. "Can't you throw it across the table?" said Mr. Chandos, holding out his hand; "CatchKitty!" But what could he do? When he came into the drawing-room to tea, the two children were sitting at a little table apart, and Lucilla standover them, teaching them to play at beggarmy-neighbour. As none of the other children would take any notice of her favourite, she was resolved Kitty should prove a noble exception to the rest. And Kitty was looking supremely happy, holding her cards for the first time in her life, and playing with Gideon, of whom she felt excessively fond. It was too preposterous-too utterly absurd, to make any serious objection to this intimacy between children of their years, so Mr. Chandos felt-so preposterous that it was impossible to interfere; but as he sat reading, or, at least, pretending to read, at a table at no great distance, his face thrown into shade by the lamp standing behind him, and as he watched her animated little face and figure, perched, in her little white short frock, upon a high chair, those . pretty rounded arms, bare to the shoulders, where the tiny sleeves were tied up with blue ribands-stretched eagerly out in her play, her most sweet and inno VOL. II. S cent face and laughing eyes lighted up with glee and pleasure--as he saw Lucilla busy teaching them and encouraging the intimacy which evidently afforded such high enjoyment to both, he every now and then drew out his watch, and thought Susan never would come to fetch his child to bed. The quick eye of Lucilla again detected the fidget he was in. You may guess how exquisitely sensible of the ridicule of such feelings she was. She had on many occasions before felt the utmost contempt for his understanding, or rather for his character, when she detected in him feelings, as she thought, so utterly nonsensical and exaggerated. could not think him a silly, but she dared to think him a very soft man, and her high opinion of her own abilities and energies was increased by the contrast. She She delighted now in punishing his weakness by encouraging, in every way, the enjoyment of the children, and at last, in the mere spirit of provoking contradiction to which she had worked herself up, she proposed, when Susan at last made her appearance, that Kitty, who had kissed |