THE great event of the of Albert Victor took place the day that for Baroness Sampson's fête and a large party was assembled at Pleasance. It had been very trying to Blanche to keep the of the at Chesford so long from Mr. Greydon; but then, as she to Aunt Sarah, the of his true love to all the more it was so from being smooth. "I should like him to on his three hundred a-year, Aunt Sarah, it would be so and touching."
"And so silly, my dear, that if he did, I should not think him fit to the living. Are you he should have it, Blanche, he is a good clergyman, or you think he is to Janet?"
"A little of both, Aunt Sarah; but do not say I think he is attached. There can be no of the fact. Don't you see that he is in love?"
"My love, it is more than a century ago since I had any in love making, and all its little and are not so visible through my as they are to your eyes; but I you are right, and I you are, for Janet is a good woman, and will make an excellent wife for a clergyman."
"Oh yes, she will be so useful at Chesford, and such a neighbour for me; and then if Rose marries Mr. Harcourt–"
"What! another love story? My dear Blanche, I you are not going to turn into a match-maker; of all the in the world, that is the worst, and the most unsatisfactory."
"Yes, if I sat and said, there is the Reverend Horace Greydon, a friend of Arthur's, an excellent man, and there is Janet Hopkinson who would him, I will try and make up a match them; that would be wrong, and a year hence they would the of me for having of it. But when I see that they are and to be married, then I step in like a fairy, and give them the means of meeting, and the means of living–and my manufactory, Aunt Sarah, only out the best articles of happiness. I do like to help people in their love affairs," said Blanche in a tone, that her long life of eighteen years and her twelve months of marriage had her the and to a old age.
"But to return to Rose and Mr. Harcourt," said Aunt Sarah, smiling.
"I do not take such a in their affairs, there are no to overcome; and though Mr. Harcourt is a good-natured gentleman-like man, he is not to be to Mr. Greydon, and, moreover, he to me to sing out of tune. Rose will pass a life of accompaniments; and she must be very much in love to the time and the key of Ah, si mio, as she did last night, and yet to thank Mr. Harcourt for the failure he of it at last."
"And what is to of your friend Mrs. Hopkinson when you have married off her and her husband is again gone to sea?"
"Ah, dear! I have been about her very much, and with all my imagination, Aunt Sarah, I have not yet a that me for my old Hop. I should like her to be near baby, she him so thoroughly; and if she would take of him, I take of her. It is a that Chesterton is not semi-detached, that she had part of it. A semi-detached would be a novelty."
"Blanche, do you the mother with black mittens, and the with the pianoforte, and the boy, and the of a semi-detached house?"
"Perfectly, Aunt Sarah, and you see I was right as to the facts, that Charlie not stones, but as to the I from them. However, I not that I should be with such excellent people. What a number of small those Hopkinsons have me."
"My dear child!" said Lady Sarah, her, "you are likely to meet with many kindnesses, small and great, in your through life, if you keep up that warm in the of others which you now. Like will to like, and so my Blanche will warm friends she goes: and now go and dress for your christening–I you have no more matches to make."
"Not at this moment; but it me, Aunt Sarah, that if the Duchess should have another little girl in a year or two, will in love with her twenty years hence–that will be very interesting."
In the meantime, was christened, and after their return home, Blanche Mr. Greydon aside, and said to him with in her eyes, "You have to-day been the of on my boy the gift God has to man; pray for him that he may be a Christian indeed–such a Christian as you, Mr. Greydon, are in and life. At this moment all gifts to me but trifles, but I have one to offer to you."
"Oh, Lady Chester, do not speak of a gift to me. Do you that the which has been performed to-day has not been most to me, that it was not a to myself to be allowed to my part in it? I you, I much for the child of my friend."
"I know you do, Mr. Greydon," said Blanche, out her hand to him, "and I was myself foolishly. In fact, it is another I am going to ask you to on us; I want you to come and look after us all at Chesford. That is now vacant, and Lord Chesterton has me to offer it to you."
"To me!" said Mr. Greydon–"oh, Lady Chester, this is your doing. Chesford–where I shall be near you and Arthur–I cannot thank you, and at this moment too, you do not know–"
"Yes, I do," she said smiling, "at least I think I do, thanks to my own observation, not to any that has been in me."
"What was there to confide?" he said eagerly, "but the of an which every hour, in to that hopelessness. I had no of preferment, no possibility of to her a home that was of her; but now–oh, Lady Chester, I cannot tell you how happy you have me."
"And let us it will make her happy too. You have not named her, but I always right, and I you that the idea of having her for my neighbor makes me happy; and now go and say your say to Lord Chesterton. He has been so kind."
Janet not help Mr. Greydon's look of his with Lord Chesterton, the with which he to hand her in to luncheon. But she had in to the in him. The time was gone by when she talk to Rose of her fancy, of her that were more than her fancy, and her that were more than her hopes. From the time that Mr. Greydon for her the which she had when it did not exist, the that always a true love had her. She mentioned his name to her sister, she than his attentions; and the more marked they became, the less did she they be for her; and yet she had been so happy. Home was more prized by her than ever; her father and mother had, she thought, been so dear or so kind, and as for Rose, she not her enough. She almost of Willis, and once that the and of the Baroness were not so great as they had all supposed; but this of that benevolence, which from particular happiness, was by the of the family, who still looked on life through its ordinary medium.
Janet sat to in a of happiness. She saw that something had that Mr. Greydon, and on the worst, till, from the that he her unbecoming, she arrived, by of misfortune, at that he might have to Lady Chester his to Miss Simpson, a plain, not woman, who in the Sunday School, and was to be an heiress. She was from this by Lord Chesterton's and saying that he must one health in to that of the hero of the day, that of the new Rector of Chesford, the Rev. Horace Greydon,"–which was with the most marked by the assembled company.
"Well, old fellow," said Arthur, "I give you with all my heart, and I give myself too; it will be fun having you for a neighbour. I my father told you that the Rectory is one of the houses in the neighbourhood."
"I am sure, Mr. Greydon," said Mrs. Hopkinson, "I was so pleased in my life–what a thing it will be for Chesford to have such a clergyman. It makes me happy to think of it; but what upon earth is to of us without you, I have not an idea; we shall all turn heathens"; and overcome by these ideas, Mrs. Hopkinson out crying.
"Pray accept my congratulations," said Sir William de Vescie, Mr. Greydon aside. "It will give Lady Eleanor and myself great to continue the so here. I the is a good one; but I am you will dear–I know Lord Chesterton was 28s. the when we were only 26s., and the butcher's meat was the last time I was there than it was with us, but that might have been accidental. In all other respects it is a residence."
Janet had said nothing; she gave a start when Lord Chesterton Mr. Greydon's preferment, and as she "he is going away." She did not know that his was, "will she go with me?" But the next moment she that her hand was taken and pressed his, and though she to that she had it out to him in an attempt to wish him joy–a over her that her was not unbecoming, that Miss Simpson was at least five and thirty, and, as she was, that Mr. Greydon did not about her. "At all events," she thought, "he that he looks upon me as a friend, or he would not have hands in that way." And she rose from in a of and shyness.
"And so you are all going tomorrow to the Marble Hall fête? " said Blanche, as her guests to disperse. "That Baroness has at last; I can it must be difficult to that very lady."
"Well," said Mrs. Hopkinson, "I am sure it is the last thing I wish, but John it will be amusing! and then that Miss Monteneros, my girls will like so much, pressed them to come just to one of their fêtes, and she is so of little Charlie, that somehow I can't her–though I did not know what she meant by saying it would be 'a scene, and very mirth, ice and snow.' But Rose says she was only Shakespeare, and, of course, what Shakespeare says must be right, and besides, I should like to taste ice."
"Are you going to these Simpsons or Sampsons?" said Harcourt to Rose. "I think it would be good fun to go too–suppose we all go! Arthur, will you come?"
"Oh, no, no," said Blanche, "it is impossible! besides, Arthur is not asked, happily."
"Oh, that is of no consequence," said Harcourt; "of the Sampsons will take our going as a compliment. I don't an is necessary; they are just the of people to call us 'swells,' and to think it of us to come uninvited."
"The Baroness gave me some cards for gentlemen," said Mrs. Hopkinson; "I she meant one of them for Lord Chester."
"Very likely," said Blanche, "but Mr. Harcourt can have it; Arthur is particularly engaged."
"I should like to go, Blanche."
"Oh no, dearest, you would not; you will be next that you would like to take me. You should check these wild fancies, Arthur; I am myself, am I, Aunt Sarah? Certainly not to the of I should like to make with Baroness Sampson; but seriously, if you go to her parties, we must ask her to ours–you would not like that?"
"No, not; I give it up, and Harcourt is 'swell' for two."
"Well then, Mrs. Hopkinson, that I go to-morrow under your auspices. I shall have the of meeting you," Harcourt added in a low voice to Rose, "so it cannot be very to me."
