Dr. Lacey."

"Why not?" said he. "Do you not like your home?"

"Oh, yes, very much," she replied; "but father is a little odd, and you
might feel inclined to laugh at him; but he is very kind, and if you could
forget his roughness, you would like him."

"I know I shall like him, just because he is your father," said Dr. Lacey.

He then turned the conversation upon other subjects, and Fanny found him
so agreeable that she never thought of the hour until Mr. Wilmot, Mrs.
Carrington and Julia suddenly entered the parlor.

"Upon my word," said Mrs. Carrington, "you have both stolen a march upon
us."

"I hope you have been agreeably entertained, Dr. Lacey," said Julia, in an
ironical tone.

"I assure you I have," said he, warmly "I do not remember having passed so
pleasant an evening for a long, long time."

"I dare say not; Fanny is usually very interesting," was, Julia’s
contemptuous reply, and as Mr. Wilmot just then took his leave, she very
haughtily left the room and went upstairs, muttering to herself, "Foiled
for the first time in my life."

From this time nothing of particular importance occurred for two or three
weeks, except that Dr. Lacey seemed each day to grow fonder of Fanny,