the great art in making society agreeable, is by judiciously mixing people together. Never think of asking those, who may probably look askance at the person who chances to sit next to them at dinner, and consider themselves quite contaminated by the vicinity. Lady Grantham will feel horrified at being obliged to breath the same atmosphere as the Stapletons; and the Stapletons will think they have lost caste, by being asked to meet the parvenus, Mrs. Delagrace and her husband."

Nina was much amused.

"Never mind, my dear lord," she exclaimed; "what can it signify for once? You know we are going abroad, and all my sins and gaucheries will be quite forgotten, ere I return. To tell you the simple honest truth, it has all been arranged with the view to one end—and that is, pour m'amuser. If you knew how Reginald entertains me! It is better than any comedy, to watch the countenance of amazement, and

sometimes of horror unfeigned, with which he examines people. Brought up as he has been, at that primitive country place-drawing all his ideas of human nature from books-having seen but one model of a gentleman, and that one much too perfect to be met with again in the world," and here she looked proudly upon her husband, "he is utterly confounded by the novelty and absurdity, of the characters, with which he meets in every direction. Now I wish to shew him specimens of different kinds of monsters, and watch the effect they will produce upon his astonished senses-of course, I do not include your aunt among these bipeds."

Lord Elmsdale shook his head, half smiling, half reproachfully; and on Reginald at this moment entering the room, the subject changed into another channel.

CHAPTER XIII.

"Oh! then, I see Queen Mab hath been with you,

she comes!

Drawn with a team of little atomies."

THE hours were becoming bright and joyful to our hero. Every day that passed, reconciled him more to his new mode of life. Indeed it would be impossible to imagine a more delightful entrée into the world. Lord Elmsdale, who from his infancy had regarded him with interest, now treated him as if he were a young brother; and although his situation was ostensibly that of secretary, as yet his services had been little required, though he was most anxious to be employed by his patron; for it was his

proudest ambition to render his talents in any way useful. His mornings he always intended to pass in the library, or in Lord Elmsdale's study, where a clerk was generally engaged in transcribing papers, and who was deputed to initiate Reginald into the business of his secretaryship. But he had often many interruptions to these studies. The window of the room in which he worked, opened upon the terrace leading to the pretty garden-a real treasure to a London mansion, and his thoughts were too often distracted by the sight of Nina flitting backwards and forwards; and not unfrequently did she put her head into the open window, and call him away to assist in some scheme which at that moment was her hobby.

She had soon discovered that he was extremely clever in more than one way. No one possessed such a profound knowledge in the management of birds, and the various pets with which she had filled the house and garden. And

then, in the arrangement of her flowers, who had such exquisite taste?—and she had always vases to fill, or birds to instal in new cages, or some occupation of this sort with which to employ him and how could Reginald resist the sweet voice which called to him, in a playful, but peremptory tone, to put down his pen, and follow her?

And when graver pursuits were the order of the day, his services were equally in requisition. If she found any difficulty in her German exercise, Reginald was as useful as a dictionary. No one arranged her drawing materials so commodiously, or mixed her colours with so much judgment. Then again, in her musical studies, he was a perfect treasure. She soon discovered that he was a very superior musician to herself, his voice so fine that it was a treat to listen to it; nothing afforded her more pleasure than to accompany him on the piano-forte, and it required some persuasion to induce her to