This conduct of Mrs. Tartan, was the more absurd, seeing that she could not but know that Mrs. Glendinning desired the thing. And was not Lucy wealthy?--going to be, that is, very wealthy when her mother died;--(sad thought that for Mrs. Tartan)--and was not her husband's family of the best; and had not Lucy's father been a bosom friend of Pierre's father? And though Lucy might be matched to some one man, where among women was the match for Lucy? Exceedingly preposterous Mrs. Tartan! But when a lady like Mrs. Tartan has nothing positive and useful to do, then she will do just such preposterous things as Mrs. Tartan did. Well, time went on; and Pierre loved Lucy, and Lucy, Pierre; till at last the two young naval gentlemen, her brothers, happened to arrive in Mrs. Tartan's drawing-room, from their first cruise--a three years' one up the Mediterranean. They rather stared at Pierre, finding him on the sofa, and Lucy not very remote. "Pray, be seated, gentlemen," said Pierre. "Plenty of room." "My darling brothers!" cried Lucy, embracing them. "My darling brothers and sister!" cried Pierre, folding them together. "Pray, hold off, sir," said the elder brother, who had served as a passed midshipman for the last two weeks. The younger brother retreated a little, and clapped his hand upon his dirk, saying, "Sir, we are from the Mediterranean. Sir, permit me to say, this is decidedly improper! Who may you be, sir?" "I can't explain for joy," cried Pierre, hilariously embracing them all again. "Most extraordinary!" cried the elder brother, extricating his shirt-collar from the embrace, and pulling it up vehemently. "Draw!" cried the younger, intrepidly. "Peace, foolish fellows," cried Lucy--"this is your old play-fellow, Pierre Glendinning." "Pierre? why, Pierre?" cried the lads--"a hug all round again! You've grown a fathom!--who would have known you? But, then--Lucy? I say, Lucy?--what business have you here in this--eh? eh?--hugging-match, I should call it?" "Oh! Lucy don't mean any thing," cried Pierre--"come, one more all round." So they all embraced again; and that evening it was publicly known that Pierre was to wed with Lucy. Whereupon, the young officers took it upon themselves to think--though they by no means presumed to breathe it--that they had authoritatively, though indirectly, accelerated a before ambiguous and highly incommendable state of affairs between the now affianced lovers. III.