"A matrimonial alliance between the Marquis of ----, and the beautiful ----." A loud ring. "Whoever can ring so loud!--they'll bring down the bell! one would think they wished to--stay till I ask Eliza," exclaimed Mrs. Jorrocks. In another moment, Eliza put in her head-- "Please, Miss Vernon, you're wanted." Kate rose, and left the room, carelessly, thinking Mrs. Wilson required her presence; but the instant she passed the door, her eyes fell upon a stout, dumpy figure, which, hat in hand, stood on the door-mat--an unmistakeable figure, for a sight of which she had so pined. What she said, or did, she could not tell; some vague remembrance of throwing her arms round his neck, and sobbing there--she did preserve; but Winter has often said--that the way in which she clung to him, as if she could never grasp so blessed a reality close enough--her eager caresses--her broken exclamations of joy, affected him deeply, and revealed her past sufferings, more eloquently, than the most elaborate description. "Well; but, _figlia mia_" said Winter, as she grew a little calmer, and they sat together in the fireless dining-room; "you look pale and thin," and he held her from him, and gazed at her till the moisture stood in his keen, black eyes. "My dear child, I am much to blame--I have neglected you; but I will atone for it--your last letter misled me completely; yet I ought to have returned home before." "Oh! no, no! you are always good. Thank God--thank God, you are come at last." "Yes! We arrived on Wednesday, and the next day I called on Langley; he gave me a sketch of your proceedings that thoroughly perplexed me. I had matters to arrange on Friday morning which could not be postponed, but my wife gave me no peace till I started by the mail train at nine o'clock last evening--so here I am!" Kate listened in rapt attention--was she really sitting once more beside the kind good artist? "My child, I fear you have suffered much, but we will try to cheer you up; if you prefer doing the thing independently, Mrs. Winter has grown a great lady, and requires a companion quite as much as Mrs. Rollocks, or Jollocks, or whatever her name is--and her husband too," continued Winter, more thickly than ever. "In a few weeks I shall have my house in A---- back on my hands--what say you, Kate, to making the old couple happy till you go to a home of your own? We may not be gay; but--" "Oh! hush, hush! You do not know how overpoweringly delightful such a vision seems to me." "Vision!--_Corpo di Bacco_, it shall be reality; and Mrs. O'Toole! my adopted daughter must have her own maid--_che gloria_--I have been expecting to see her broad, honest face every minute. My Kate--it must have gone hard with you to part with her." But Kate could not speak--she could only clasp Winter's hand in both of hers, and murmur a broken thanksgiving, her eyes rivetted on her companion in speechless gratitude.