“Have you called upon Mr. C——­yet?” she asked, before he had time to more than bid her a good-morning.

“I was going to do it this moment,” replied Mr. Burgess, looking confused, yet trying to assume a bland and cordial manner.

In spite of her efforts to appear indifferent, the countenance of Lucy fell and assumed a look of painful disappointment.

“You shall hear from me in an hour,” said Mr. Burgess, feeling strongly condemned for his neglect.  “I have had a great many things on my mind for these two days past, and have been much occupied with business.  I regret exceedingly the delay, but you may rely upon my attending to it at once.  As I said, I was just going out for the very purpose when you called.  Excuse me to your mother, and tell her that she will certainly hear from me within the next hour.  Tell her that I have already made one or two efforts to see Mr. C——­, but without succeeding in my object.  He happened not to be at home when I called.”

Lucy stammered out a reply, bade Mr. Burgess good-morning, and returned home with a heavy heart.  She had little doubt but that the vacancy was already supplied.  Scarcely half an hour elapsed, when a note was left.  It was briefly as follows:—­

“Mr. Burgess’s compliments to Mrs. Ellison.  Is very sorry to say that the vacancy in Mr. C——­’s seminary has already been filled.  If in any thing else Mr. B. can be of any service, Mrs. E. will please feel at perfect liberty in calling upon him.  He exceedingly regrets that his application to Mr. C——­was not more successful.”

The note dropped from the hands of Mrs. Ellison, and she groaned audibly.  Lucy snatched it up, and took in its contents at a single glance.  She made no remark, but clasped her hands together and drew them tightly across her breast, while her eyes glanced involuntarily upward.

About an hour afterwards, a lady who felt a good deal of interest in Mrs. Ellison, and who knew of the application that was to be made through Mr. Burgess to Mr. C——­, called in to express her sincere regret at Lucy’s having failed to secure the situation, a knowledge of which had just reached her ears.

“Nothing but the neglect of Mr. Burgess to call upon Mr. C——­at once, as he promised to do, has prevented Lucy from getting the place!” she said, with the warmth of a just indignation.  “A person who was present when Mr. B. called this morning, told me, that after he left Mr. C——­remarked to her that he was perfectly aware of Lucy’s high qualifications for teaching French, and would have been glad of her services had he known her wish to engage as an instructor, but that it was now too late, as he had on the day before employed a competent person to fill the situation.”

Lucy covered her face with her hands on hearing this, and gave way to a passionate burst of tears.

When Mr. Burgess came home at dinner-time, his wife said, immediately on his entrance, “Have you secured that place for Lucy Ellison, my dear?  I hope you haven’t neglected it again.”