foster-mother, at the vagaries of the happy-go-lucky, reckless Irish
blood in Bertie, which did not flow in her own veins.

She looked forward to marrying him to Cecil, as the best chance of
relieving his pecuniary difficulties and reforming his unsteadiness.

Captain Du Meresq had stayed with them for six weeks some time ago,
when he and Cecil became inseparable companions, and it was then that
the idea had dawned upon her. She would not openly discuss it with her
brother--that would have too much the appearance of a plot: but her
lively satisfaction at the prospect was apparent enough, and Bertie knew
her co-operation would not be wanting.

He had thought of it more than once. What chance had he not calculated
to get him through his sea of difficulties; but a thousand a year alone
seemed scarcely sufficient temptation to matrimony, to which he did not
seriously incline. Indeed, his warm impressionable nature was not the
temperament of a fortune-hunter.

He was attracted with Cecil, and got rather fond of her in the six weeks
he had been trying to make her in love with him, not with any mercenary
view, but because such was his usual custom with girls.

But he was afflicted with a keen eye for beauty, and Cecil was plain to
most eyes, and too colourless for his taste, though she possessed a
lovely figure, thorough-bred little head, and a pale, intelligent,
expressive face.

Bluebell's lilies and roses and Hebe-like contour caught his eye in a
moment, of which Cecil felt an instinctive conviction; but though, with a