THE birth of twin daughters awakened the young father to a still stronger sense of the total dependence and extreme helplessness of his condition.  Yet how to remedy it he knew not.  To accept of his father’s proposal was out of the question, and it was equally impossible for him, were he ever so inclined, to remain much longer a burden on the narrow income of the Laird of Glenfern.  One alternative only remained, which was to address the friend and patron of his youth, General Cameron; and to him he therefore wrote, describing all the misery of his situation, and imploring his forgiveness and assistance.  “The old General’s passion must have cooled by this time,” thought he to himself, as he sealed the letter, “and as he has often overlooked former scrapes, I think, after all, he will help me out of this greatest one of all.”

For once Henry was not mistaken.  He received an answer to his letter, in which the General, after execrating his folly in marrying a lady of quality, swearing at the birth of his twin daughters, and giving him some wholesome counsel as to his future mode of life, concluded by informing him that he had got him reinstated in his former rank in the army; that he should settle seven hundred per annum on him till he saw how matters were conducted, and, in the meantime, enclosed a draught for four hundred pounds, to open the campaign.

Though this was not, according to Henry’s notions, “coming down handsomely,” still it was better than not coming down at all, and with a mixture of delight and disappointment he flew to communicate the tidings to Lady Juliana.

“Seven hundred pounds a year!” exclaimed she, in raptures:  “Heavens! what a quantity of money! why, we shall be quite rich, and I shall have such a beautiful house, and such pretty carriages, and give such parties, and buy so many fine things.  Oh dear, how happy I shall be!”

“You know little of money, Julia, if you think seven hundred pounds will do all that,” replied her husband gravely.  “I hardly think we can afford a house in town; but we may have a pretty cottage at Richmond or Twickenham, and I can keep a curricle, and drive you about, you know; and we may give famous good dinners.”

A dispute here ensued; her ladyship hated cottages and curricles and good dinners as much as her husband despised fancy balls, opera boxes, and chariots.

The fact was that the one knew very nearly as much of the real value of money as the other, and Henry’s sober scheme was just as practicable as his wife’s extravagant one.

Brought up in the luxurious profusion of great house; accustomed to issue her orders and have them obeyed, Lady Juliana, at the time she married, was in the most blissful state of ignorance respecting the value of pounds, shillings, and pence.  Her maid took care to have her wardrobe supplied with all things needful, and when she wanted a new dress or a fashionable jewel, it was only driving to Madame D.’s, or Mr. Y.’s, and desiring the article to be sent to herself, while the bill went to her papa.