morning in giving him anagrams to guess; and after she had repaired to the schoolroom, he went on inventing fresh ones, and transposing the ivory letters, rambling on in his usual style of pensive drollery.  Happiness never set him off to advantage, and either there was more froth than ordinary, or it appeared unusually ridiculous to an audience who did not detect the under-current of reflection.  His father would have been in despair, Mrs. Ponsonby or Mary would have interposed; but the ladies of Beauchastel laughed and encouraged him,—­all but Isabel, who sat in the window, and thought of Adeline, ’spighted and angered both,’ by a Navarrese coxcomb, with sleeves down to his heels, and shoes turned up to his knees.  She gave herself great credit for having already created him a Viscount.

In the afternoon, Louis drove out lionizing with his aunt; but though the ponies stopped of themselves at all the notable views; sea, hill, and river were lost on him.  Lady Conway could have drawn out a far less accessible person, and her outpouring of his own sentiments made him regard her as perfect.

She consulted him about her winter’s resort.  Louisa required peculiar care, and she had thought of trying mineral baths—­what was thought of Northwold? what kind of houses were there?  The Northwold faculty themselves might have taken a lesson from Fitzjocelyn’s eloquent analysis of the chemical properties of the waters, and all old Mr. Frost’s spirit would seem to have descended on him when he dilated on the House Beautiful.  Lodgers for Miss Faithfull! what jubilee they would cause!  And such lodgers!  No wonder he was in ecstasy.  All the evening the sound of his low, deliberate voice was unceasing, and his calm announcements to his two little cousins were each one more startling than the last; while James, to whom it was likewise all sunshine, was full of vivacity, and a shrewd piquancy of manner that gave zest to all he said, and wonderfully enlivened the often rather dull circle at Beauchastel.

Morning came; and when the ladies descended to breakfast, it was found that Lord Fitzjocelyn had gone out with the sportsmen.  The children lamented, and their elders pronounced a young gentleman’s passion for shooting to be quite incalculable.  When, late in the day, the party returned, it was reported that he did not appear to care much for the sport; but had walked beside Mr. Mansell’s shooting-pony, and had finally gone with him to see his model farm.  This was a sure road to the old squire’s heart, and no one was more delighted with the guest.  For Aunt Catharine’s sake, Louis was always attracted by old age, and his attentive manners had won Mr. Mansell’s heart, even before his inquiries about his hobby had completed the charm.  To expound and to listen to histories of agricultural experiments that really answered, was highly satisfactory to both, and all the evening they were eager over the great account-book which was the pride of the squire’s heart; while Virginia and Louisa grumbled or looked imploring, and Isabel marvelled at there being any interest for any one in old Mr. Mansell’s conversation.