Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

ARCHER'S PROPOSAL. 851
beside him, — Ruskin's "Moderni Painters," which had pictures
in it; so he took out his great gold glasses, and began turning it
over.
A man's card fell from it. He picked it-up and read it. "Mr.
Charles Ravenshoe." Poor Charles! That spring, you remember, he had come over to see Adelaide, and, while waiting to see
old Lady Hainault, had held his card in his hand. It had got
into the book. Lord Saltire put the book away, put up his
glasses, and walked to the window.
And Charles lay in his bed at Scutari, and watched the flies
upon the wall.
" I'11 send up for little Mary," said Lord Saltire. "I want to
see the little bird. Poor Charles! "
He looked out over the landscape. It was dull and foggy. He
wandered into the conservatory, and idly looked out of the glass
door at the end. Then, as he looked, he said, suddenly, " Gadzooks!" and then, still more briskly, " The deuce! "
There was a splendid show of chrysanthemums in the flowergarden, but they were not what his lordship exclaimed at. In
the middle of the walk was Mary Corby, leaning on the arm of
a very handsome young man. He was telling some very animated story, and she was looking up into his face with sparkling
eyes.
"Othello and Desdemona! Death and confusion!" said Lord
Saltire. " Here's a pretty kettle of fish! Maria must be mad!"
He went back into the library. Lord Hainault was there.
"Hainault," said he, quietly, "who is that young gentleman
walking with Mary Corby in the garden?"
" 0, her cousin. I have not had time to tell you about it."
Which he did.
"And what sort of fellow is he?" said Lord Saltire. "A
Yahoo, I suppose."
"Not at all. He is a capital fellow,- a perfect gentleman.
There will be a match, I believe, unless you put a stop to it.
You know best. We will talk it over. It seems to me to offer a
good many advantages. I think it will come off in time. It is
best for the poor little thing to forget poor Ravenshoe, if she can."
" Yes, it will be best for her to forget poor Ravenshoe, if she
can," repeated Lord Saltire. "I wish her to do so. I must
make the young fellow's acquaintance. By the by, what time
does your post go out?"
" At five."
"Have you no morning post?"
"Yes. We can send to Henley before nine."
"Then I shall not plague myself with writing my letter now.
I should like to see this young fellow, Hainault."