The music, we are grieved to say, was not at all worth listening to-it would not have disturbed Bell and Beau had the two little beds been on the top of the piano. Though Marian with a careless hand ran over three or four notes, the momentary sound did not disturb the brown study of Mrs Atheling, and scarcely roused Susan, nodding and dozing, as she mended stockings by the kitchen fire. We are afraid this same practising was often an excuse for half-an-hour's idleness and dreaming. Sweet idleness! happy visions! for it certainly was so to-night.

The best room was of the same size exactly as the family sitting room, but looked larger by means of looking prim, chill, and uninhabited, and it was by no means crowded with furniture. The piano in one corner and a large old-fashioned table in another, with a big leaf of black and bright mahogany folded down, were the only considerable articles in the room, and the wall looked very blank with its array of chairs. The sofa inclined towards the unlighted fire, and the round table stood before it; but you could not delude yourself into the idea that this at any time could be the family hearth. Mrs Atheling "kept no company;" so, like other good people in the same condition, she religiously preserved and kept in order the company-room; and it was a comfort to her heart to recollect that in this roomy house there was always an orderly place where strangers could be shown into, although the said strangers never came.

The one candle had been placed drearily among the little coloured glass vases on the mantel-shelf; but the moonlight shone broad and full into the window, and, pouring its rays over the whole visible scene without, made something grand and solemn even of this genteel and silent Bellevue. The tranquil whiteness on these humble roofs the distinctness with which one branch here and there, detached and taken possession of by the light, marked out its half-developed buds against the sky-the

VOL LXXX.-NO. CCCCLXXXIX.

strange magic which made that faint ascending streak of smoke the ethereal plaything of these moonbeams-and the intense blackness of the shadow, deep as though it fell from one of the pyramids, of these homely gardenwalls-made a wonderful and striking picture of a scene which had not one remarkable feature of its own; and the solitary figure crossing the road, all enshrined and hallowed in this silvery glory, but itself so dark and undistinguishable, was like a figure in a vision- -an emblematic and symbolical appearance, entering like a picture to the spectator's memory. The two girls stood looking out, with their arms entwined, and their fair heads close together, as is the wont of such companions, watching the wayfarer, whose weary footstep was inaudible in the great hush and whisper of the night.

"I always fancy one might see ghosts in moonlight," said Marian, under her breath. Certainly that solitary passenger, with all the silvered folds of his dress, and the gliding and noiseless motion of his progress, was not entirely unlike one.

"One

"He looks like a man in a parable," said Agnes, in the same tone. could think he was gliding away mysteriously to do something wrong. See, now, he has gone into the shadow. I cannot see him at all—he has quite disappeared-it is so black. Ah! I shall think he is always standing there, looking over at us, and plotting something. I wish Charlie would come home-how long he is!"

"Who would plot anything against us?" said innocent Marian, with her fearless smile. People do not have enemies now as they used to have at least not common people. I wish he would come out again, though, out of that darkness. I wonder what sort of man he could be."

But Agnes was no longer following the man; her eye was wandering vaguely over the pale illumination of the sky. "I wonder what will happen to us all?" said Agnes, with a sigh-sweet sigh of girlish thought that knew no care! "I think we are

C

all beginning now, Marian, every one of us. I wonder what will happenCharlie and all ?"

"Oh, I can tell you," said Marian; and you first of all, because you are the oldest. We shall all be famous, Agnes, every one of us; all because of you."

Oh, hush!" cried Agnes, a smile and a flush and a sudden brightness running over all her face; "but suppose it should be so, you know, Marian-only suppose it for our own pleasure what a delight it would be! It might help Charlie on better than anything; and then what we could do for Bell and Beau! Of course it is nonsense," said Agnes, with a low laugh, and a sigh of excitement, "but how pleasant it would be!"

"It is not nonsense at all; I think it is quite certain," said Marian; "but then people would seek you out, and you would have to go and visit them -great people-clever people. Would it not be odd to hear real ladies and gentlemen talking in company as they talk in books?"

I wonder if they do," said Agnes, doubtfully. "And then to meet people whom we have heard of all our lives-perhaps Bulwer even perhaps Tennyson! Oh, Marian!”

"And to know they were very glad to meet you," exclaimed the sister dreamer, with another low laugh of absolute pleasure: that was very near the climax of all imaginable honours -and for very awe and delight the young visionaries held their breath.

"And I think now," said Marian, after a little interval, "that perhaps it is better Charlie should be a lawyer, for he would have so little at first in papa's office, and he never could get on, more than papa; and you would not like to leave all the rest of us behind you, Agnes? I know you would not. But I hope Charlie will never grow like Mr Foggo, so old and solitary; to be poor would be better than that."

"Then I could be Miss Willsie," said Agnes, "and we would live in a little square house, with two bits of lawn and two fir-trees; but I think we would not call it Killiecrankie Lodge."

Over this felicitous prospect there was a great deal of very quiet laugh

ing-laughing as sweet and as irrepressible as any other natural music, but certainly not evidencing any very serious purpose on the part of either of the young sisters to follow the example of Miss Willsie. They had so little thought, in their fair unconscious youth, of all the long array of years and changes which lay between their sweet estate and that of the restless kind old lady, the mistress of Mr Foggo's little square house.

"And then, for me what should I do?" said Marian. There were smiles hiding in every line of this young beautiful face, curving the pretty eyebrow, moving the soft lip, shining shy and bright in the sweet eyes. No anxiety-not the shadow of a shade had ever crossed this young girl's imagination touching her future lot. It was as rosy as the west and the south, and the cheeks of Maud in Mr Tennyson's poem. She had no thought of investigating it too closely; it was all as bright as a summer day to Marian, and she was ready to spend all her smiles upon the prediction, whether it was ill or well."

"Then, I suppose, you must be married, May. I see nothing else for you," said Agnes, "for there could not possibly be two Miss Willsies; but I should like to see, in a fairy glass, who my other brother was to be. He must be clever, Marian, and it would be very pleasant if he could be rich, and I suppose he ought to be handsome too.'

"Oh, Agnes! handsome of course, first of all!" cried Marian, laughing, "nobody but you would put that last."

"But then I rather like ugly people, especially if they are clever," said Agnes; "there is Charlie, for example. If he was very ugly, what an odd couple you would be! he ought to be ugly for a balance-and very witty and very pleasant, and ready to do anything for you, May. Then if he were only rich, and you could have a carriage, and be a great lady, I think I should be quite content."

"Hush, Agnes! mamma will hear you-and now there is Charlie with a book," said Marian. "Look! he is quite as mysterious in the moonlight as the other man-only Charlie

could never be like a ghost-and I wonder what the book is. Come, Agnes, open the door."

This was the conclusion of the

half-hour's practising; they made grievously little progress with their music, yet it was by no means an unpleasant half-hour.

Mrs Atheling has been calling upon Miss Willsie, partly to intercede for Hannah, the pretty maid, partly on a neighbourly errand of ordinary gossip and kindliness; but in decided excitement and agitation of mind mamma has come home. It is easy to perceive this as she hurries up-stairs to take off her shawl and bonnet; very easy to notice the fact, as, absent and preoccupied, she comes down again. Bell and Beau are in the kitchen, and the kitchen-door is open. Bell has Susan's cat, who is very like to scratch her, hugged close in her chubby arms. Beau hovers so near the fire, on which there is no guard, that his mother would think him doomed did she see

him;

but-it is true, although it is almost unbelievable, mamma actually passes the open kitchen-door without observing either Bell or Beau!

The apples of her eye! Mrs Atheling has surely something very important to occupy her thoughts; and now she takes her usual chair, but does not attempt to find her workbasket. What can possibly have happened to mamma?

The girls have not to wait very long in uncertainty. The good mother speaks, though she does not distinctly address either of them. "They want a lad like Charlie in Mr Foggo's office," said Mrs Atheling. "I knew that, and that Charlie could have the place; but they also want an articled clerk."

An articled clerk !—what is that, mamma?" said Agnes, eagerly.

To tell the truth, Mrs Atheling did not very well know what it was, but she knew it was "something superior," and that was enough for her motherly ambition.

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Foggo might get them to take a very small premium. Such a thing for Charlie! I am sure we could all pinch for a year or two to give him a beginning like that!"

Would it be much better, mamma?" said Marian. They had left what they were doing to come closer about her, pursuing their eager interrogations. Marian sat down upon a stool on the rug where the firelight brightened her hair and reddened her cheek at its pleasure. Agnes stood on the opposite side of the hearth, looking down upon the other interlocutors. They were impatient to hear all that Mrs Atheling had heard, and perfectly ready to jump to an unanimous opinion."

Well, my dear, it is a gentleman," said Mrs Atheling, "and of course there must be far greater opportunities of learning. It is a superior thing altogether, I believe. Now, being such old friends, I should think Mr

Better, my dear!" said Mrs Atheling "just as much better as a young man learning to be a master can be better than one who is only a servant. Then, you know, it would give Charlie standing, and get him friends of a higher class. I think it would be positively a sin to neglect such an opportunity; we might never all our lives hear of anything like it again.”

"And how did you hear of it, mamma?" said Marian. Marian had quite a genius for asking questions.

"I heard of it from Miss Willsie, my love. It was entirely by accident. She was telling me of an articled pupil they had at the office, who had gone all wrong, poor fellow, in consequence of ; but I can tell you that another time. And then she said they wanted one now, and then it flashed upon me just like an inspiration. I was quite agitated. I do really declare to you, girls, I thought it was Providence; and I believe, if we only were bold enough to do it in faith, God would provide the means; and I feel sure it would be the making of Charlie. Ithink so indeed."

"I wonder what he would say himself?" said Agnes; for not even Mrs Atheling knew so well as Agnes

did the immovable determination, when he had settled upon anything, of this obstinate big boy.

"We will speak of it to-night, and see what your papa says, and I would not mind even mentioning it to Mr Foggo," said Mrs Atheling: "we have not very much to spare, yet I think we could all spare something for Charlie's sake; we must have it fully discussed to-night."

This made, for the time, a conclusion of the subject, since Mrs Atheling, having unburdened her mind to her daughters, immediately discovered the absence of the children, rebuked the girls for suffering them to stray, and set out to bring them back without delay. Marian sat musing before the fire, scorching her pretty cheek with the greatest equanimity. Agnes threw herself into papa's easy-chair. Both hurried off immediately into delightful speculations touching Charlie a lawyer and a gentleman; and already in their secret hearts both of these rash girls began to entertain the utmost contempt for the commonplace name of clerk.

We are afraid Mr Atheling's tea was made very hurriedly that night. He could not get peace to finish his third cup, that excellent papa: they persecuted him out of his ordinary play with Bell and Beau; his invariable study of the newspaper. He could by no means make out the cause of the commotion. "Not another story finished already, Agnes?" said the perplexed head of the house. He began to think it would be something rather alarming if they succeeded each other like this.

'Now, my dears, sit down, and do not make a noise with your work, I beg of you. I have something to say to your papa," said Mrs Atheling, with state and solemnity.

Whereupon papa involuntarily put himself on his defence; he had not the slightest idea what could be amiss, but he recognised the gravity of the preamble."What is the matter, Mary?" cried poor Mr Atheling. He could not tell what he had done to deserve this.

"My dear, I want to speak about Charlie," said Mrs Atheling, becoming now less dignified, and showing

a little agitation. "I went to call on Miss Willsie to-day, partly about Hannah, partly for other things; and Miss Willsie told me, William, that besides the youth's place which we thought would do for Charlie, there was in Mr Foggo's office a vacancy for an articled clerk."

Mrs Atheling paused, out of breath. She did not often make long speeches, nor had she frequently before originated and led a great movement like this, so she showed fully as much excitement as the occasion required. Papa listened with composure and a little surprise, relieved to find that he was not on his trial. Charlie pricked his big red ears, as he sat at his grammar, but made no other sign; while the girls, altogether suspending their work, drew their chairs closer, and with a kindred excitement eagerly followed every word and gesture of mamma.

"And you must see, William," said Mrs Atheling, rapidly, "what a great advantage it would be to Charlie, if he could enter the office like a gentleman. Of course, I know he would get no salary; but we could go on very well for a year or two as we are doing-quite as well as before, certainly; and I have no doubt Mr Foggo could persuade them to be content with a very small premium; and then think of the advantage to Charlie, my dear!"

Premium! no salary !-get on for a year or two! Are you dreaming, Mary?" exclaimed Mr Atheling.

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Why, this is a perfect craze, my dear. Charlie an articled clerk in Foggo's office! it is pure nonsense. You don't mean to say such a thought has ever taken possession of you. could understand the girls, if it was their notion-but, Mary! you!"

I

"And why not me?" said mamma, somewhat angry for the moment. "Who is so anxious as me for my boy? I know what our income is, and what it can do exactly to a penny, William-a great deal better than you do, my dear; and of course it would be my business to draw in our expenses accordingly; and the girls would give up anything for Charlie's sake. And then, except Beau, who is so little, and will not want anything much done for him