do it gracefully, and almost with unconsciousness of there being any derogation in the thing. They are so much more practical than we are.

And now, after narrating some of the proceedings of Ruth and Maggie during this day, we must return to Casimir's lodgings, where this young lady was waiting to see him. As he entered the parlour, he had the unexpected pleasure of seeing that it was Ruth who had come to visit him.

"Dear Ruth, I am so glad to see you," he exclaimed; "we have had a hard day's work, but not altogether unsuccessful. Glenant is

wonderful with these men of business. He

seems always to be in the right key with them. They take to him."

Was

"Well, Casimir, I have good news too. it not Queen Elizabeth, of whom I never knew whether we women should be proud or ashamed. who told some bishop that, "By God, she would unfrock him ?" I'm greater than the queen, for I have persuaded our bishops that would be, to say that they do not wish for episcopal vest

II.

ments. But seriously, there is to be no question of precedence or authority. It was all a mistake. You men, my dear Count, make everything so precise, and so hard and so rough; whereas we women glide over difficulties. Nothing could be nicer than what they all said at last, and agreed to."

The young Count thought to himself what a regularly feminine word that word "nice" is, which may mean so much, and may mean SO little; but he did not give utterance to this thought, and merely replied, somewhat sarcastically

"Priests and women, I suppose, understand each other better than priests and other men ; or other men and women."

Ruth coloured up, partly with anger, and said, "That's not a very gracious speech, Count Casimir."

He hastened to apologise. "No, Miss Sumner, indeed it is not. I beg a thousand pardons. You little know how deeply I feel how much I am indebted to your kindness for setting this tire

some matter straight.

I dare say at last we

shall get everything else straight; and then we shall have to go.".

He uttered the last words in a tone of regret; and waited, hoping that Ruth, too, would say something which implied regret; but she remained silent.

"I think," he resumed, "the Earl will miss us sadly. I feel ashamed at taking away Glenant-and Maggie, too, whom the Earl has taken to so kindly."

"I think, perhaps, Miss Lauder will be of more comfort to some, or at least to one, of the emigrants, than she would be even to my

cousin."

"What do you mean, Miss Sumner? Maggie is one of the sweetest girls in the world-and one of the cleverest; but-"

Here the door opened, and another young lady was admitted, being no other than Maggie herself, who had come to give a report of her

successes.

It seemed to be fated that Maggie should

come to those lodgings at the most inopportune and unfortunate times for Count Casimir. As happened on the former occasion, he did not fail to welcome Maggie cordially, though he said to himself, "I do believe I might have brought Ruth to think more kindly of me, if she had remained alone with me, and we had had more talk. It was too presumptuous, but I almost fancied there was a little touch of jealousy at the mention of Maggie's name. But then it might have been Glenant that Ruth was thinking of. Anyhow,

it is most unfortunate."

The conversation became general. The girls related their adventures; and after Maggie had received due praise from Casimir for all her skill and courage (he knew Mrs. Moyler, and had a proper dread of her), Ruth and Maggie went away together, leaving Casimir to his reflections, which were not altogether roseate, though the day had been a day of manifold success as regards the main project, but not the dearest one, of his life.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

LOVERS SEEN FROM A BALCONY.

UTH was very miserable, but not the less did she labour at her ap

pointed work, and strive in every way to promote the success of her lover's enterprise. One of the things that, woman-like, she was most anxious about, was his health. Casimir was no longer the strong, healthy young man that he had been when he first came to England. Ruth was convinced that without the supervision of a loving woman, indeed, if the truth must be told, without her own supervision, he would probably die of some dreadful fever in the country to which he was going. How willingly would she have gone with him as