unhappy　as　she　deserved　to　be。　　She　spent　her　time　in　sewing　on
  stiff　flannel　linings　and　crying。　　She　half　hoped　Christopher　would
  write　to　her；　so　that　she　might　write　back　that　she　forgave　him。
  But　not　a　line。
  At　half…past　six　her　volatile　mind　took　a　turn；　real　or　affected。
  She　would　cry　no　more　for　an　ungrateful　fellow；ungrateful　for　not
  seeing　through　the　stone　walls　how　she　had　been　employed　all　the
  morning；　and　making　it　up。　　So　she　bathed　her　red　eyes；　made　a
  great　alteration　in　her　dress；　and　came　dancing　into　the　room
  humming　an　Italian　ditty。
  As　they　were　sitting　together　in　the　dining…room　after　dinner；　two
  letters　came　by　the　same　post　to　Mr。　Lusignan　from　Mr。　Wyman　and
  Dr。　Snell。
  Mr。　Wyman's　letter：
  DEAR　SIR；I　am　sorry　to　hear　from　Miss　Lusignan　that　she　intends
  to　discontinue　medical　advice。　　The　disorder　was　progressing
  favorably；　and　nothing　to　be　feared；　under　proper　treatment。
  Yours；　etc。
  Dr。　Snell's　letter：
  DEAR　SIR；Miss　Lusignan　has　written　to　me　somewhat　impatiently　and
  seems　disposed　to　dispense　with　my　visits。　　I　do　not；　however；
  think　it　right　to　withdraw　without　telling　you　candidly　that　this
  is　an　unwise　step。　　Your　daughter's　health　is　in　a　very　precarious
  condition。
  Yours；　etc。
  Rosa　burst　out　laughing。　　〃I　have　nothing　to　fear；　and　I'm　on　the
  brink　of　the　grave。　　That　comes　of　writing　without　a　consultation。
  If　they　had　written　at　one　table；　I　should　have　been　neither　well
  nor　ill。　　Poor　Christopher！〃　and　her　sweet　face　began　to　work
  piteously。
  〃There！　there！　drink　a　glass　of　wine。〃
  She　did；　and　a　tear　with　it；　that　ran　into　the　glass　like
  lightning。
  Warned　by　this　that　grief　sat　very　near　the　bright；　hilarious
  surface；　Mr。　Lusignan　avoided　all　emotional　subjects　for　the
  present。　　Next　day；　however；　he　told　her　she　might　dismiss　her
  lover；　but　no　power　should　make　him　dismiss　his　pet　physician；
  unless　her　health　improved。
  〃I　will　not　give　you　that　excuse　for　inflicting　him　on　me　again；〃
  said　the　young　hypocrite。
  She　kept　her　word。　　She　got　better　and　better；　stronger；　brighter；
  gayer。
  She　took　to　walking　every　day；　and　increasing　the　distance；　till
  she　could　walk　ten　miles　without　fatigue。
  Her　favorite　walk　was　to　a　certain　cliff　that　commanded　a　noble
  view　of　the　sea。　　To　get　to　it　she　must　pass　through　the　town　of
  Gravesend；　and　we　may　be　sure　she　did　not　pass　so　often　through
  that　city　without　some　idea　of　meeting　the　lover　she　had　used　so
  ill；　and　eliciting　an　APOLOGY　from　him。　　Sly　puss！
  When　she　had　walked　twenty　times；　or　thereabouts；　through　the　town；
  and　never　seen　him；　she　began　to　fear　she　had　offended　him　past
  hope。　　Then　she　used　to　cry　at　the　end　of　every　walk。
  But　by　and　by　bodily　health；　vanity；　and　temper　combined　to　rouse
  the　defiant　spirit。　　Said　she；　〃If　he　really　loved　me；　he　would　not
  take　my　word　in　such　a　hurry。　　And　besides；　why　does　he　not　watch
  me；　and　find　out　what　I　am　doing；　and　where　I　walk？〃
  At　last　she　really　began　to　persuade　herself　that　she　was　an　ill…
  used　and　slighted　girl。　　She　was　very　angry　at　times；　and
  disconsolate　at　others；　a　mixed　state　in　which　hasty　and　impulsive
  young　ladies　commit　lifelong　follies。
  Mr。　Lusignan　observed　the　surface　only：　he　saw　his　invalid　daughter
  getting　better　every　day；　till　at　last　she　became　a　picture　of
  health　and　bodily　vigor。　　Relieved　of　his　fears；　he　troubled　his
  head　but　little　about　Christopher　Staines。　　Yet　he　esteemed　him；
  and　had　got　to　like　him；　but　Rosa　was　a　beauty；　and　could　do　better
  than　marry　a　struggling　physician；　however　able。　　He　launched　out
  into　a　little　gayety；　resumed　his　quiet　dinner…parties；　and；　after
  some　persuasion；　took　his　now　blooming　daughter　to　a　ball　given　by
  the　officers　of　Chatham。
  She　was　the　belle　of　the　ball　beyond　dispute；　and　danced　with
  ethereal　grace　and　athletic　endurance。　　She　was　madly　fond　of
  waltzing；　and　here　she　encountered　what　she　was　pleased　to　call　a
  divine　dancer。　　It　was　a　Mr。　Reginald　Falcon；　a　gentleman　who　had
  retired　to　the　seaside　to　recruit　his　health　and　finances　sore
  tried　by　London　and　Paris。　　Falcon　had　run　through　his　fortune；　but
  had　acquired；　in　the　process；　certain　talents　which；　as　they　cost
  the　acquirer　dear；　so　they　sometimes　repay　him；　especially　if　he　is
  not　overburdened　with　principle；　and　adopts　the　notion　that；　the
  world　having　plucked　him；　he　has　a　right　to　pluck　the　world。　　He
  could　play　billiards　well；　but　never　so　well　as　when　backing
  himself　for　a　heavy　stake。　　He　could　shoot　pigeons　well；　and　his
  shooting　improved　under　that　which　makes　some　marksmen　missa
  heavy　bet　against　the　gun。　　He　danced　to　perfection；　and　being　a
  well…bred；　experienced；　brazen；　adroit　fellow；　who　knew　a　little　of
  everything　that　was　going；　he　had　always　plenty　to　say。　　Above　all；
  he　had　made　a　particular　study　of　the　fair　sex；　had　met　with　many
  successes；　many　rebuffs；　and；　at　last；　by　keen　study　of　their
  minds；　and　a　habit　he　had　acquired　of　watching　their　faces；　and
  shifting　his　helm　accordingly；　had　learned　the　great　art　of
  pleasing　them。　　They　admired　his　face；　to　me；　the　short　space
  between　his　eyes　and　his　hair；　his　aquiline　nose；　and　thin　straight
  lips；　suggested　the　bird　of　prey　a　little　too　much：　but　to　fair
  doves；　born　to　be　clutched；　this　similitude　perhaps　was　not　very
  alarming；　even　if　they　observed　it。
  Rosa　danced　several　times　with　him；　and　told　him　he　danced　like　an
  angel。　　He　informed　her　that　was　because；　for　once；　he　was　dancing
  with　an　angel。　　She　laughed　and　blushed。　　He　flattered　deliciously；
  and　it　cost　him　little；　for　he　fell　in　love　with　her　that　night；
  deeper　than　he　had　ever　been　in　his　whole　life　of　intrigue。　　He
  asked　leave　to　call　on　her：　she　looked　a　little　shy　at　that；　and
  did　not　respond。　　He　instantly　withdrew　his　proposal；　with　an
  apology　and　a　sigh　that　raised　her　pity。　　However；　she　was　not　a
  forward　girl；　even　when　excited　by　dancing　and　charmed　with　her
  partner；　so　she　left　him　to　find　his　own　way　out　of　that
  difficulty。
  He　was　not　long　about　it。　　At　the　end　of　the　next　waltz　he　asked
  her　if　he　might　venture　to　solicit　an　introduction　to　her　father。
  〃Oh；　certainly；〃　said　she。　　〃What　a　selfish　girl　I　am！　this　is
  terribly　dull　for　him。〃
  The　introduction　being　made；　and　Rosa　being　engaged　for　the　next
  three　dances；　Mr。　Falcon　sat　by　Mr。　Lusignan　and　entertained　him。
  For　this　little　piece　of　apparent　self…denial　he　was　paid　in
  various　coin：　Lusignan　found　out　he　was　the　son　of　an　old
  acquaintance；　and　so　the　door　of　Kent　Villa　opened　to　him；
  meantime；　Rosa　Lusignan　never　passed　him；　even　in　the　arms　of　a
  cavalry　officer；　without　bestowing　a　glance　of　approval　and
  gratitude　on　him。　　〃What　a　good…hearted　young　man！〃　thought　she。
  〃How　kind　of　him　to　amuse　papa；　and　now　I　can　stay　so　much　longer。〃
  Falcon　followed　up　the　dance　by　a　call；　and　was　infinitely
  agreeable：　followed　up　the　call　by　another；　and　admired　Rosa　with
  so　little　disguise　that　Mr。　Lusignan　said　to　her；　〃I　think　you　have
  made　a　conquest。　　His　father　had　considerable　estates　in　Essex。　　I
  presume　he　inherits　them。〃
  〃Oh；　never　mind　his　estates；〃　said　Rosa；　〃he　dances　like　an　angel；
  and　gossips　charmingly；　and　IS　so　nice。〃
  Christopher　Staines　pined　for　this　girl　in　silence：　his　fine　frame
  got　thinner；　his　pale　cheek　paler；　as　she　got　rosier　and　rosier；
  and　how？　　Why；　by　following　the　very　advice　she　had　snubbed　him　for
  giving　her。　　At　last；　he　heard　she　had　been　the　belle　of　a　ball；
  and　that　she　had　been　seen　walking　miles　from　home；　and　blooming　as
  a　Hebe。　　Then　his　deep　anxiety　ceased；　his　pride　stung　him
  furiously；　he　began　to　think　of　his　own　value；　and　to　struggle　with
  all　his　might　against　his　deep　love。　　Sometimes　he　would　even
  inveigh　against　her；　and　call　her　a　fickle；　ungrateful　girl；
  capable　of　no　strong　passion　but　vanity。　　Many　a　hard　term　he
  applied　to　her　in　his　sorrowful　solitude；　but　not　a　word　when　he
  had　a　hearer。　　He　found　it　hard　to　rest：　he　kept　dashing　up　to
  London　and　back。　　He　plunged　furiously　into　study。　　He　groaned　and
  sighed；　and　fought　the　hard　and　bitter　fight　that　is　too　often　the
  lot　of　the　deep　that　love　the　shallow。　　Strong；　but　single…hearted；
  no　other　lady　could　comfort　him。　　He　turned　from　female　company；
  and　shunned　all　for　the　fault　of　one。
  The　inward　contest　wore　him。　　He　began　to　look　very　thin　and　wan；
  and　all　for　a　Simpleton！
  Mr。　Falcon　prolonged　his　stay　in　the　neighborhood；　and　drove　a
  handsome　dogcart　over　twice　a　week　to　visit　Mr。　Lusignan。
  He　used　to　call　on　that　gentleman　at　four　o'clock；　for　at　that　hour
  Mr。　Lusignan　was　always　out；　and　his　daughter　always　at　home。
  She　was　at　home　at　that　hour　because　she　took　her　long　walks　in　the
  morning。　　While　her　new　admirer　was　in　bed；　or　dressing；　or
  breakfasting；　she　was　springing　along　the　road　with　all　the
  elasticity　of　youth；　and　health；　and　native　vigor；　braced　by　daily
  exercise。
  Twenty…one　of　these　walks　did　she　take；　with　no　other　result　than
  health　and　appetite；　but　the　twenty…second　was　more　fertile
  extremely　fertile。　　Starting　later　than　usual；　she　passed　through
  Gravesend　while　Reginald　Falcon　was　smoking　at　his　front　window。
  He　saw　her；　and　instantly　doffed　h