"oh, isabel, mama says i may stay until the first, and then we can return together, won't that be charming," said emily, as she came into isabel's room on the following day, holding an open letter in her hand. "you can't think how glad i am to escape the escort of that tiresome lady ashton."

"i certainly should not imagine that she would make a very pleasant travelling companion," returned isabel, laughing. "don't mention it pray," exclaimed emily, "you have no idea what i endured coming down. poor charles, he must have been almost worried to death, she is such a horrid tease, and the old gentleman too, is an awful fidget. i think arthur barrington knew what he was about, when he refused to be of our party, and went on by express. talking of lady ashton, how abominably she behaves to you. i was saying so to harry the other day, and he really seemed quite hurt about it. he said that he saw what she was at the other day at dinner, and was very much annoyed. then i told him that was nothing to what took place afterwards, and related what she said to you in the drawing room."

"oh, emily, how could you," exclaimed isabel.

"ah now don't be cross with me, isabel, darling. i really couldn't resist, it was so supremely absurd. do you know, that that little goose, ada, cried her eyes out about it that night, and then in again next morning." "i know that ada was very much hurt at lady ashton's rudeness," replied isabel.

"i'm sure that i was as angry and annoyed as any of them, but for the life of me i can't help laughing whenever i think of it. but confess now, isabel, are you not desperately in love with arthur barrington--come tell the truth."

"well, the truth is, no, most decidedly not," isabel answered, laughing.

"ah, now, i'm quite disappointed, for i had made up my mind to that match, if only to aggravate lady ashton. she has no influence in that quarter, as anyone may see; and he is so decidedly 'smitten."'

"what nonsense you talk, emily."

"it is not nonsense. i assure you that i mean what i say. ah, my dear, you had better consider the matter. second thoughts, you know, are sometimes best. he is a very nice fellow, and his father is immensely rich. you can have him if you choose: i am sharp enough to see that."

"but then you see i don't choose," returned isabel, much amused. "besides, i think that you are quite mistaken."

"oh, you silly isabel, how can you be so provokingly stupid? by the bye, what a little namby-pamby thing that mabel ainsley is. what lucy can see in her to like, passes my comprehension."

"i presume it must be because lucy is so different, and then mabel is so pliant, which no doubt suits, as lucy is fond of taking the lead."

"they say that likes go by contraries; but as far as my observations go, it is seldom the case," observed emily.

"a similarity of tastes and ideas is usually more attractive; but then, 'novelty's charming,' you know," responded isabel.

"i do wish that we could get up a fancy ball--a private masquerade, you know. i was speaking to ada and lucy about it last night. i said that i would be night, and lucy thought you ought to be morning."

"i hope they will give up the idea, as i really could not take part in it," interrupted isabel.

"why not--what harm could there be? what makes you so fastidious, isabel?"

"it is not that, dear emily;" but i have very painful associations connected with a private masquerade, the only one that i ever went to. that night poor papa received the sad news of his failure; and in the midst of that gay scene, i received a summons to return, as my papa was alarmingly ill, and scarcely expected to live through the night. he never recovered, though he lingered for some weeks afterwards. can you wonder then, dear emily, that even the idea of such a thing is painful in the extreme?"

"i'm very sorry that i proposed it," returned emily, much concerned. "i will tell ada what you say, and we will get up some other amusement: so don't think any more about it, dear;" and giving isabel a hasty kiss, she left her.

the sixth was a bright, cloudless day--the dazzling whiteness of the frozen snow, and the deep blue of the sky, forming a beautiful contrast. the weather was cold, not intensely so, and the trees looked splendid, as their ice-covered boughs glistened and sparkled in the sunlight; and the merry jingle of the sleigh-bells was quite enlivening. the wedding was quite a grand affair, and passed off with great eclat.

charles and ada were to travel for three weeks, and then join the ashtons and morningtons at boston, and proceed to the old country together.

the ashtons left eastwood shortly after the wedding, to prepare for a long absence from the park; and from the time of lady ashton's departure, isabel's visit was one of uninterrupted enjoyment. she became so cheerful and animated, that emily declared they positively wouldn't know her again at elm grove.

harry was to remain at w----, to read up for the examination. he had tried very hard to prevail upon his father to let him enter mr. arlington's office, as in that way he could get on much better, he said, as he would see a great deal of law business, and he could easily read up in the evenings.

but his father only laughed. "love-making would play the dickens with the studies. you would be poring over your book, without knowing that it was upside down. no, no. after you have 'passed,' you shall travel for a year; and then i believe that i shall be able to get you a partnership in h---- with my old school-fellow, harding, who is a very clever lawyer, and stands very high in his profession."

"but will you allow me sufficient to enable me to marry and take my wife with me?" asked harry.

"upon my word! that is a modest request," replied his father.

harry laughed.

"when i was young, young men expected to make their way in the world a little before they talked of marrying," continued mr. mornington; but you ask me as coolly as possible to give you enough to enable you and your wife to travel, before you go into business at all, which i think is pretty brassy. i wonder what my father would have thought if i had made such a request. i honestly believe he would have thrashed me. but as i said, things are different now-a-days." harry grew very red during this harangue, but wisely kept silent.

"now, i'll tell you what my father did. he called me into his study one morning. 'how old are you?' he asked. 'fifteen, sir,' i replied proudly. 'old enough to be better,' he retorted. 'well, sir, as you are fifteen, i consider that you are old enough to earn your own living. i have procured you a situation in a wholesale grocery, where you will get a hundred dollars a year. now, as you will be away from home (for the firm is in washington), i will pay your board for the first year. after that, you will get a rise in your salary; and from that time, you will have to depend upon your own exertions, as i shall not help you any more. if you are honest and steady, you get on. but if you will get into scrapes, don't expect me to help you out." "yes, sir," resumed mr. mornington, "that was the way i began the world; and by the time i was twenty-three (your age, harry), i had acquired a good position in the firm, and a promise of a future partnership. what do you think of that?"

"i think that if you had started me in the same manner, when i was fifteen, that i should have done the same," replied harry, with spirit.

"then you think that you can't be blamed justly?"

"no, sir," returned harry, respectfully.

"well, i suppose that it has been all my own doing," resumed mr. mornington. "but seriously, harry, do you wish to give up law and become one of the firm? speak out, boy, there is no good in taking up a thing if you have no heart for it."

"you mistake me altogether," interposed harry, hastily. "i have not the least wish to give up the law."

"so let it be then. and i agree to your request--provided that you 'pass' within a year."

"all right--thanks," returned harry, thinking that he had made a capital arrangement.

"i suppose," added his father, "that you will have to take the girls to elm grove."

"unless it interferes with the bargain," harry began--

"ha, ha!" laughed mr. mornington. "you will make a good lawyer yet, i believe."

"i hope so," responded harry, lighting his cigar.

on the first of february, they all set out for boston, according to the previous arrangement. on their arrival in that city, they found that charles and ada had been there some days. charles had received a telegram, saying that the elder ashtons would only get there an hour or so before the steamer left.

the girls were delighted at this intelligence, as now there was nothing to mar the happiness of the party during the few days that they would spend together. ada and isabel were inseparable, and it was astonishing how much lucy and emily had to say. charles and harry discussed their future plans. mr. mornington had a great many people to see, and a great deal of business to attend to, so that he was closely occupied, and had scarcely a word for any one during meals, which was the only time he was with them. and mrs. mornington's happiness seemed to consist in seeing the young people enjoy themselves.

after the arrival of sir john and lady ashton, with miss crosse and louisa, they all went on board the steamer; and when they had seen them comfortably settled, emily, harry and isabel, returned to the hotel, and the next morning continued their journey to elm grove, where mr. mornington had stipulated that harry should stay no more than three weeks--or it would interfere with the bargain.