Why, once when Lesbia was in a poetical mood, and said she would marry the man she liked best in the world, if he were a pauper, her ladyship flew into a terrible passion, and told her she would renounce her, that she would curse her, if she were to marry beneath her, or marry without her grandmother's consent.' 'Hard lines for Hammond,' said Maulevrier, rather lightly.

'Then I suppose we must give up the idea of a match between him and Lesbia.' 'You ought not to have brought him here,' retorted Mary.

'You had better invent some plan for sending him away.

If he stay it will be only to break his heart.' 'Dear child, men's hearts do not break so easily.

I have fancied that mine was broken more than once in my life, yet it is sound enough, I assure you.' 'Oh!' sighed Mary, 'but you are not like him; wounds do not go so deep with you.' The subject of their conversation came out of the rocky cleft in the hills as Mary spoke.