But she was too delicate to ask Lucia the truth, and contented herself with watching all parties closely, and in amusing herself meanwhile--for amusement she must have--in "Breaking a country heart For pastime, ere she went to town." She had met Frank several times about the parish and in the schools, and had been struck at once with his grace and high breeding, and with that air of melancholy which is always interesting in a true woman's eyes.

She had seen, too, that Elsley tried to avoid him, naturally enough not wishing an intrusion on their pleasant _tetes-a-tete._ Whereon, half to spite Elsley, and half to show her own right to chat with whom she chose, she made Lucia ask Frank to tea; and next contrived to go to the school when he was teaching there, and to make Elsley ask him to walk with them; and all the more, because she had discovered that Elsley had discontinued his walks with Frank, as soon as she had appeared at Penalva.
Lucia was not sorry to countenance her in her naughtiness; it was a comfort to her to have a fourth person in the room at times, and thus to compel Elsley and Valencia to think of something beside each other; and when she saw her sister gradually transferring her favours from the married to the unmarried victim, she would have been more than woman if she had not rejoiced thereat.

Only, she began soon to be afraid for Frank, and at last told Valencia so.
"Do take care that you do not break his heart!" "My dear! You forget that I sit under Mr.O'Blareaway, and am to him as a heathen and a publican.

Fresh from St.Nepomuc's as he is, he would as soon think of falling in love with an 'Oirish Prodestant,' as with a malignant and a turbaned Turk.

Besides, my dear, if the mischief is going to be done, it's done already." "I dare say it is, you naughty beautiful thing.