night at least.  The Ladies Mary and Gertrude Lyle, distinguished by the perfect simplicity of their dress, had each twined an arm in that of the gentle, retiring Caroline Myrvin, and tried to draw her from her young mother’s side, where, somewhat abashed at the number that night assembled in her grandfather’s hall, she seemed determined to remain, while a younger sister frolicked about the room, making friends with all, in such wild exuberance of spirits, that Mrs. Myrvin’s gentle voice was more than once raised in playful reproach to reduce her to order, while her husband and Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton seemed to take delight in her movements of elasticity and joy.  The Countess St. Eval, as majestic and fascinating in womanhood as her early youth had promised, one moment watched with a proud yet softly flashing eye the graceful movements of her son, and the next, was conversing eagerly and gaily with her brother Percy and the young Earl of Delmont, who were standing near her; seven years had wrought but little change in him, whom till now we have only known by the simple designation of Edward Fortescue.  Manhood, in his prime, had rather increased than lessened the extreme beauty of his face and form; few gazed on him once but turned to gaze again, and the little smiling cherub of five years, whose soft, round arms were twined round Miss Fortescue’s neck, the Lady Ellen Fortescue, promised fair to inherit all her father’s beauty and peculiar grace, and endeared her to her young mother’s heart with an increased warmth of love, while the dark flashing eyes of Lord Manvers and his glossy, flowing, ebon curls rendered him, Edward declared, the perfect likeness of his mother, and therefore he was the father’s pet.  Round Mr. Hamilton were grouped, in attitudes which an artist might have been glad to catch for natural grace, about three or four younger grandchildren, the eldest not exceeding four years, who, too young to join in the dance and sports of their elder brethren, were listening with eager attention to the entertaining stories grandpapa was relating, calling forth peals of laughter from his infant auditors, particularly from the fine curly-headed boy who was installed on the seat of honour, Mr. Hamilton’s knee, being the only child of Percy and Louisa, and consequently the pet of all.  It was to that group Herbert Myrvin wished to confine the attention of his merry little sister, who, however, did not choose to be so governed, and frisked about from one group to another, regardless of her graver brother’s warning glances; one minute seated on Mrs. Hamilton’s knee and nestling her little head on her bosom, the next pulling her uncle Lord St. Eval’s coat, to make him turn round and play with her, and then running away with a wild and ringing laugh.

“Do not look so anxious, my own Emmeline,” Mrs. Hamilton said fondly, as she met her daughter’s glance fixed somewhat anxiously on her little Minnie, for so she was generally called, to distinguish her from Lady St. Eval’s Mary.  “You will have no trouble to check those wild spirits when there is need to do so; her heart is like your own, and then sweet is the task of rearing.”