'who's ready for parker's dew?' said the squire, entering the drawing-room. 'now is your time to see it, for i have just heard a grand secret—there is going to be a wedding.'

'oh, i am so glad!' said flora. 'who is it?'

'well, that is very good-natured,' said the squire, 'considering you have nothing to do with it; and yet we are all deeply interested in it. now guess who it is. i am sure it's worth a guess.'

'oh, it's cousin eu, of course,' said flora.

'ay, but the lady, flo, the lady'—

mrs. brimble looked up nervously.

'miss punter,' and 'the honourable amelia groves,' died upon her lips.

'what! give it up without a guess?' said the squire, looking at them both.

'i know whom he ought to have married,' said flora, with a little toss of her head.

'you?' said the squire.

'me!' said flora; 'he would have despised me before a month was up, as marjory does in five minutes. oh, no, he is beyond me, besides being too old.'

after a little more teasing, in which the squire did not spare mrs. brimble's penetration, the secret was out; and a day of much rejoicing it was at brimble hall.

it was arranged that, on the marriage taking place, marjory should occupy rooms fitted up for her at parker's dew, as her own independent home; but she did not live to see their completion.

'by the grace of god, you know, shady,' said sir eustace, when fairly settled, 'as you once interpreted to me, we have all things;' and constantly had shady proof that his master knew this. as home steward and librarian, he reigned supremely happy in his paradise, but never so happy as when labouring under sir eustace's direction for the improvement of the poor around.

mrs. gillies was now truly the housekeeper of parker's dew, with a goodly retinue of underlings.

squire brimble, as years advanced and the influence of his son-in-law increased, lost the dark clouds that had at times obscured his sunshine, and enjoyed a far more solid happiness than he had known in the most joyous days of his youth.