crowded by the mother and daughter into those few minutes. The plan
was quickly arranged. They feared to trust even Deborah; so that the
only way that they could provide the food that Edmund so much needed
was by Rose and Walter attempting to save all they could at supper,
and Rose could steal out when everyone was gone to rest, and carry it
to him. Lady Woodley was bent on herself going to her son that
night; but Rose prevailed on her to lay aside the intention, as it
would have been fatal, in her weak state of health, for her to expose
herself to the chills of an autumn night, and, what was with her a
much more conclusive reason, Rose was much more likely to be able to
slip out unobserved. Rose had an opportunity of explaining all this
to Walter, and imploring him to be cautious, before the colonel and
his son came down, and the whole party assembled round the supper-
table.

Lady Woodley had the eggs and bacon before her; Walter insisted on
undertaking the carving of the pigeon-pie, and looked considerably
affronted when young Sylvester Enderby offered to take the office, as
a more experienced carver. Poor Rose, how her heart beat at every
word and look, and how hard she strove to seem perfectly at her ease
and unconscious! Walter was in a fume of anxiety and vexation, and
could hardly control himself so far as to speak civilly to either of
the guests, so that he was no less a cause of fear to his mother and
sister than the children, who were unconscious how much depended on
discretion.

Young Sylvester Enderby was a fine young man of eighteen, very good-
natured, and not at all like a Puritan in appearance or manner. He
had hardly yet begun to think for himself, and was merely obeying his
father in joining the army with him, without questioning whether it