I had selected the Canadian snows rather than the burning suns of the East, as the scene of my exile."

"You would not regard it as so good a theatre for the achievement of military glory, I hope," said Mr. Melville, smiling, as in that case we should apprehend some belligerent purposes toward ourselves. But I trust that day is past, not soon to return. We have associations and friendships with the mother country that every visit we exchange serves to renew and strengthen.

"It has been some time," continued Mr. Melville, "since I was in England, but I have many reasons for recalling with pleasure the portion of my visit passed at the country seat of one of her noble sons in the vicinity of Exeter. It was on an occasion when I was one of many guests, and having then seen but little of your society, I was naturally disposed to observe its distinguishing features. Conversation, especially at dinner, I remarked, was easy, cheerful, and animated, and I was particularly struck on this, as I have been on other occasions, with the well-bred modesty and quiet unobtrusive manners of the élite of the English nobility."

"I should certainly subscribe to the word élite,” said Captain Delamere, " on which I observe you lay a peculiar and significant emphasis."

"It might not perhaps be quite consistent with the deference often observed without discrimination toward your nobles to dwell too long on that word," returned Mr. Melville. "But the noblemen present on this occasion were of superior rank, and were all highly intelligent and exceedingly well informed men.

And yet they seemed studiously to yield the pas both in conversation and the forms of social observance to their untitled neighbors. In this close contact of the different orders of which English society is composed, I observed that their intercourse was perfectly easy and familiar, and on the part of these noblemen a marked deference and apparent yielding of superiority to those less elevated in the scale of their conventional hierarchy."

"I can hardly be mistaken in your host, I think," said Captain Delamere. "I have often partaken of his hospitality."

"It would then be idle to give my impression of his residence," said Mr. Melville, "but it doubtless gives you pleasure to recall it, and as Mrs. Melville and Vivian have not seen it, you will pardon my enthusiasm if I recount some of its peculiar charms. The grounds, though simple, I found unsurpassed by any I had seen in England for nobleness and beauty. The house is situated at the base of a very high hill, clothed with magnificent forest trees consisting of beech, oak, chestnut, and various kinds of fir, from among which the undergrowth is entirely removed and replaced with luxuriant grass, while smooth winding roads are constructed along its side in such a way as to afford at almost every step a new and charming point of view.

"An extensive park stretches over undulating and sloping grounds in front of the house, dotted over with noble trees, oaks, elms, or cedars of Lebanon, sometimes standing singly, sometimes in groups, and so disposed as to give the highest effect to the natural

features of the landscape, a thing which is better understood in England than in any other country in the world."

"And the conservatory, and above all the chapel?" said Mrs. Melville, "for I have always considered that the highest ornament of a noble country seat."

"A fine conservatory," replied Mr. Melville, "is embraced within a smoothly shaven lawn, which is separated by a light iron railing from the park. The lawn is adorned with rustic vases of flowers here and there, and several gigantic trees, among them an immense tulip tree, presiding with druidical majesty over the scene. On the opposite side of the house is a flower garden arranged with exquisite taste, and is fully seen from the dining room windows which descend to the floor. At some distance from the house on the same side, standing on a projection of the hill, is a beautiful chapel built by the proprietor for the use of his own family and that of the tenants and laborers upon his estate, and near it a school-house built like the chapel in the gothic style, and intended for the children of the neighborhood, over which Lady A * * * * * exercises a maternal supervision.

“All this assemblage of beautiful and noble objects," continued Mr. Melville, "set down in the bosom of a country, which by its variety of hill and dale and its red soil also bears so strong a resemblance to our own, suggested wishes and plans of improvement at home, which, though they may never be realized, it was yet pleasing to revolve in my mind while I had so perfect and charming a model before my eyes."

Captain Delamere was about to make a complimentary remark on the success that had already attended the efforts of his host to emulate so bright an example, when the young ladies made their appearance, and his compliments were naturally turned towards them.

Beaming with youth and health, and fresh from the toilette, it is impossible to imagine two lovelier creatures. Their dress, from a girlish fancy, was the same-simple, but arranged with the exquisite neatness and taste that always distinguishes the lady in the true sense of the word.

A silk dress of the becoming shade of blue, well known as the bleu Louise, was relieved around the open corsage and sleeves by fine Valenciennes lace, and gave a soupçon of the white necks and arms, of which we have elsewhere taken the liberty of a surreptitious description, and which were brilliantly contrasted with the color of the dress. A brooch and bracelet of blue enamel on gold, the only ornaments they wore, showed by their simplicity that the wearers had no wish "to share with art the triumphs of their eyes."

"I have recently had the pleasure of seeing your father, Miss Walsingham," said Captain Delamere, after gracefully paying his compliments to both the young ladies, "and I was very near having the honor of his company as a travelling companion. Mr. Reginald Villiers would also have been of our party, but he has rather unexpectedly embarked for Europe."

Evelyn returned her thanks for the intelligence, adding that she had recently received a letter from

her father, in which these intentions had been mentioned to her.

"Mr. Villiers is then an acquaintance of yours, Captain Delamere?" inquired Constance.

Evelyn smiled. "Constance," she said, "assures me that I have had a romantic dream, of which Reginald is the hero, and insists that he is a myth."

"My proof of the assertion," replied Constance, "is, that though I have often heard of Mr. Reginald Villiers, I have never seen him, and that I have never seen any one who has seen him. Is not this sufficient to warrant my theory, Captain Delamere?"

"It is fortunate that you have given me a moment to consider my answer to your first inquiry, Miss Melville," said Captain Delamere, "as I am afraid I shall only confirm instead of dissipating your suspicions. I have the pleasure of being acquainted with Mr. Villiers only through a friend, but a friend who would soon dispel all your doubts by his enthusiastic praises of Mr. Villiers."

"So far then," said Constance, laughing, "my theory stands unimpeached."

"But Reginald is an acquaintance of Mr. Melville," said Evelyn, appealing to Vivian.

quite sure I have heard you speak of him."

66

"I am

Certainly," replied Vivian, "I have often heard my college friend, Ainslie, mention him as the best student of the classics he knew."

"He was not then your own classmate?" inquired Captain Delamere.

"No, I knew him only by reputation. But Ainslie refers to him as to an oracle, and pronounces him such