Amabel Vaughan.

fair companion , who seemed to be quite at home in the names and history of the wonderful and beautiful things which surrounded them on every hand . Then they wandered into those splendid courts which represent the architecture of Jfineveh and Babylon , Egypt and the Alhambra . When next Fitz met them—for the old lady had made up her mind to study some curious exotic plant in the tropical part of the Palace , and ho had had to follow her ,

leaving his friend and his cousin to wander where they would—they were standing in the last named court looking into the beautiful richly painted cave-like room , with its magnificent arabesques and rich adornments , which is the architectural gem , as some think , of the whole Palace , and Mark was telling Mabel about the Moriscoes in Spain . And then she looked up with those large , lustrous speaking eyes of hers and gave him the soft flattery of her rapt attention while he glowed upon the theme , and told her of all the glories of the Caliphate .

Neither forgot that visit to the Alhambra Court in the Crystal Palace for many a long day , though both remembered it differently . Mabel thought that Marcus Seaton , her cousin ' s friend , was a very nice young fellow , and it might be worth her while to win him , even though he were to bo thrown aside afterwards like a broken toy . And he thought that Mabel was more beautiful and more fascinating , more graceful and clever than any girl he had met before . And if he had any other thoughts they were these , which he blurted out sntlo voce as

he went home ; " I wonder if Mabel cares a straw about me—I Avonder if I should ever have a chance ?" A chance of what 1 " Well , it ' s no use thinking about it , I suppose , so I had better go to bed and dream about her ] Confound it all , I wish I had never gone to the Crystal Palace to-day !" So said the Government clerk , as he turned into his chambers in Charges Street , late

that evening , after seeing his new friends home , and having left Fitz the lawyer to make up for lost time in besieging the fortress of Mabel's affections . Three months had elapsed since our heroine had made a conquest of the rather romantic youth ( he was five or six and twenty though , perhaps more , and some years older than Mabel ) who figures chiefly hi this little tale , and during that time he had found frequent opportunities of seeing the woman he loved better than all the world . Mabel had been on the Continent for a short time with some friends , and Mark wrote to her .

She answered his first letter rather tersely , and by no means affectionately , but he was always so chivalrous and gentlemanly in the way he expressed himself , so cordially solicitous for her welfare , so humble and diffident , and withal so true and leal to her , that she was flattered and pleased ; and though it was very wrong to encourage him , because she knew she did not love him , and could never marry him—yet he seemed too good to lose altogetheras she knew she must lose him if she repelled his

advances—, so that she could not help encouraging the poor fellow , until at last he thought that surely his deep-rooted love was now at last requited . Thus stood matters on the 12 th October , 186— and the two friends were still in London .

Mabel ' s visit was then at an end . "Mark , " said Fitz as he strolled into his friend ' s office in Somerset Housi just before four on the day in question : — " Old Brig—my uncle , I mean—has been at me to-day , and wants to know if I have any influence to get a boy into Christ's Hospital . He thinks that because you and I -were there , we must know a lot of the Governors and all that sort of thing .

Now I don't know a soul . My Governor , I don ' t mean the Governor , -who ' s hale and hearty , I ' m thankful to say—but the generous patron who put me in—is now , alas , no more , but it struck me that perhaps your chief , or the secretary , or somebody or other here mi ght be got at —and that you wouldn't mind trying to do what you can for niy uncle . I think you will when I tell you that the boy he is interested in is the son of Dawson , whom you may remember as Monitor of our ward , when you and I first came « P to London . " 2 A