hospitable in her father's house, to let her antipathy appear. It was a secret to everybody, and its object never perceived it, or fathomed its cause. She had so few opportunities of seeing her cousin alone, that the subject was never mentioned to him.

CHAPTER V.

A VERY GOOD FAMILY.

CONSIDERING that an author has full and undivided control over the fate, fortune, joy, or sorrow of those whose actions form the fabric of his story, I see no reason why he should not extend his authority a few generations, exercise the same power with regard to their forefathers, and rule their antecedents as absolutely as their present or future.

I therefore have no hesitation, in defiance of Mr. Burke and his wonderful book about our landed gentry, in saying that the Cairnleigh-Haughtons of Alversholme are one of the very oldest families in England.

I must be understood to speak only of the main branch of this distinguished family. There may be plenty of Cairnleighs, and no dearth of Haughtons, holding a tolerably high position amongst the aristocracy of this country; but these are mere collaterals, of whom I know nothing. It is only when these two illustrious names are borne together without any vulgar addition that I recognise the head of the house. The shades of departed Cairnleigh-Haughtons would

have risen from their graves in horror and dismay, if incautious godfathers and godmothers had dared to invest an elder son or daughter with any ordinary prænomen.

Younger sons were always highly unpopular with the Cairnleigh-Haughtons, and were only tolerated as a corps de reserve, in case of accident to the eldestborn. If such superfluous branches of the family tree insisted upon being unprincipled enough to attain maturity, they were transplanted to some foreign court or colony, or grafted upon the stock of some rich heiress. They were even allowed Christian names, of which, however, they were instantly deprived in the event of death vacancies in the honours and titles of the great name.

The fact was, that its property and pride were in an inverse ratio. There was quite enough of the one to maintain a whole regiment of cadets; but the other was only sufficient for the head of the house, and therefore the superabundant male shoots were left pretty much to fate, and their own wits. The pride that they had received from the parent stock generally kept them from bringing any discredit upon their origin; but for aught their fathers or elder brothers cared or knew about them, after they had once been separated from the ancestral stem, they might go to Hong-Kong, Jericho, or any other

bourne commonly suggested to travellers whose fate and fortunes are a subject of indifference.

There is a vast portion of nobility in this country upon which the Cairnleigh-Haughtons look down with the most sovereign contempt.

They are all-daughters especially— skilled professors of the history of England as laid down in Debrett's and Hardwick's "Peerages;" indeed, if they only studied the pages of those learned treatises in which their own name appeared, they would know the pedigree of most families worth consideration. Royal blood has more than once flowed in their veins, as may be known by any one who will take the trouble of consulting the records of the University of Oxford, where the heirs of Alversholme finish their education, and take their honorary degrees. In the lists containing the names of those whom their Alma Mater delighteth thus to honour, will be found that of the past representatives of this, ancient name, distinguished from the more adolescent earls and viscounts who have attained a like honourable distinction, by the words, "Descended from Blood Royal," bracketed beneath it.

Daughters were more favourably considered: they were generally very handsome, and wore the pride of their house bravely. They never knew what it was to have a heart, or to want an "establishment."

They did exactly what they were bid, made great matches, and wore their coronets and their virtues in the most exemplary manner.

Fortune favoured the ancient name, and transmitted it from father to son with becoming regularity; the right line had not failed for centuries. But accidents will happen, even in great families; and if the last generation had been asked who was to succeed to the names, honours, and lands of Alversholme, they certainly would not have named their present possessor. He was a third son-a superfluity, as we have already shown-unpopular in his family. Moreover, at an early age he exhibited most perverse symptoms: he enjoyed a game of romps, laughed and was happy in the society of the commonest children-cried and was lonely when shut up away from their play in the dark, cold, old Grange. As a boy, he was fat and good-natured-attributes which are not in the family. He absolutely refused to grow up to the proper standard of the Cairnleigh Alversholmes-stopped growing at five feet six, had two elder brothers, and red hair.

Under these circumstances, can it be a matter of wonder that he was sent from home at an early age to a German military school, from thence appointed to an African corps, and then-forgotten?

While fever and death were busy with the banished