not mind, or she would know better; but what can they--Lenore, I
mean--think of me, but that I am as bad as the rest?"

"Do you mean that anything has passed between you?"

"No, not with Lenore. Her sister spoke to me, and said it was not
right when she had seen nothing but Rockpier; but she as good as
promised to stand my friend. And when I get to the office, in two
years, I shall have quite enough to begin upon, with what my mother
allows us."

"Then you hope she will wait for that?"

"I feel sure of it--that is, if she is not annoyed by this
abominable usage from my family. Oh! Rosamond, you will help us
when you get into your own house, and you will get Julius to see it
in a proper light. Mother trusts to him almost as much as to
Raymond; but it is our misfortune to be so much younger that she
can't believe us grown up."

"O, Frank," said Charlie, coming in, "here's Price come up about the
puppies.--What, Rosamond, has he got hold of you? What a blessing
for me! but I pity you."

Frank and Charlie went off together; and Julius was in the act of
begging Cecil to illuminate a notice of the services, to be framed
and put into the church porch, when Raymond came in from the other
room to make up a whist-table for his mother. Rosamond gladly
responded; but there was a slight accent of contempt in Cecil's
voice, as she replied, "I never played a game at cards in my life."