CHAPTER XXI.

DON RAMON'S COURTSHIP.

SHORTLY after the Trevors left Ostend, who should join them on their route but Mr. Danville! Our Nelly is an heiress yet, under her uncle's will, remember; and although her fortune has been sadly crippled by the sacrifices made to pay Hugh's debts, she is anything but a bad catch for an enterprising man about town. However, I must do Danville the justice to say that his sudden determination to travel, when he heard that the Trevors had left the country, and the curious coincidence of his having taken the same route that they did, was not brought about by any mercenary consideration. It was something better than Nelly's money that he was after, although he did not own it, even to himself-viz., Nelly's heart; for his friendship to Hugh stood no longer in his way. It was not a pleasant rencontre, this, to Nelly. The presence of her cousin's friend awoke unpleasant recollections; but his good tact in avoiding disagreeable topics was admirable, and his knowledge of the country through which they passed,

made him very useful to the travellers in many

ways.

If any lurking shadow of Danville's old fortunehunting views towards Nelly remained up to the time of their second meeting, they were soon dispelled. The more he saw of her, the less did he think of the setting, and the more of the gem it contained. He would have laughed the idea to scorn had any one intimated that it was so; but I think that this seasoned man of the world was having the tables turned upon him (without her knowing it, though) by the simple country girl, and that he was becoming and rapidly, too-much fonder of our Nelly than he was aware of, or than suited his peace of mind. It may be imagined, then, that it was with no feelings of satisfaction that, after a short absence, he discovered upon his return that Sir Ramon Trevor had joined the party, and that a reconciliation had been effected between him and Mr. Trevor. The worthy gentleman bore his nephew no ill-will. Why should he? He had but claimed his own; he had done so rather abruptly, it was true, but his motive was not a bad one. He followed them all the way to Nice to claim kindred with him, and to beg him to return when he pleased to the old house, and be its master as long as he lived.

"It may not be," the old man would reply,

mournfully; "it is no longer a home for us now.” And after repeated urging upon the part of Sir Ramon, and continued refusal on his own, he begged that the subject might not be mooted again.

Sir Ramon was too wise to persist, but he soon found another quarter in which to repeat his proposals.

He had an end to serve, you may depend upon it.

He laid siege to our Nelly with that patient, unobtrusive homage and snake-like fascination peculiar to him. He never appeared to have any particular object in view, or to be doing anything remarkable; but Nelly could not move without finding him, or something emanating from him, anticipating her wishes almost before she had conceived them.

There was only one member of the Trevors' little establishment in whose good opinion Sir Ramon made no sort of advance, and this was our old friend Lion. A quick change of expression would pass over the kind eyes of the great dog when the Mexican entered, and his lip would curl up and display a glimpse of those formidable fangs to which the object of his dislike had already had an introduction, in a very ominous manner, when he approached Nelly too closely.

Some one has said that the instincts of women are generally right—their reasoning invariably wrong.

The antithesis is very neatly put, and is witty withal; but, like many other sayings of its class, it will not bear much looking into-for the difference between instinct and reason appears to me rather too delicate a one to be thus cavalierly dealt with. Nelly's instincts taught her to dislike Danville; she reasoned herself into liking Sir Ramon; and she was wrong both ways.

Had not her new cousin once interposed to save her from a great peril-a peril that circumstances unknown to him at the time had averted, but which, nevertheless, might have assailed her; and was he not of her own flesh and blood? But what affected honest Nell in his favour most was, the plaintive accounts which he would give her of the persecution (?) he endured in England upon her father's account. It was very hard upon him, he urged, that Mr. Trevor would not accept his offer. Every one about Trevor hated him for having dispossessed the good old squire. Oh! he knew how to take up his position, did the wily Mexican!

They would often converse about the old Hall, and its pleasant dells and flowery woods; for Nelly had a sad pleasure in recalling the beauties of her lost home, and often would she speak with tearful eyes of her aged pensioners and humble friends, and wonder what was passing in the village, and if any

one was taking care of her flowers, and if the farm animals-pets, every one of them-had got kind masters, and many other silly, touching conjectures respecting Trevor and its inhabitants.

And so time passed away smoothly enough with the exiles in their foreign home, until nearly a year had elapsed since the memorable wedding morn. But our Nelly is not "getting over it" as pleasantly as some of her friends desire, and have hoped that she would. That strange glinting which concealed sorrow reflects in the eyes, shines with its painful light upon her lustrous orbs; and although the old kind smile does not desert her sweet face, her little hands have grown still whiter than of old, and but a little exertion tires her very much now.

One still, balmy evening, as she was sitting alone in the balcony of the house, Sir Ramon sought her, with a bundle of letters in his hand.

"I have news from Trevor for you, cousin Eleanor."

He never wasted an opportunity of reminding her of their relationship.

"Have you?" replied Nelly, softly, without looking up.

"Yes, indeed! It seems that the old place had fallen into sad disorder after you left England, but I