comfortable incomes, nor does papa. I warn you of that, so if you wish to take advantage of such hospitality as we can afford you--and we really desire to be kind--you have been cautioned and must act accordingly." Harry cordially thanked Martha for the description of her sisters, and with perfect sincerity promised to follow her advice. It showed him that she, at all events, was not aware of his love for Mabel, and though he thought her a very good-natured woman, he had no intention of making her his confidant on that matter. Harry had soon the opportunity of discovering the correctness of her description of her sisters. The youngest came in last. There was a considerable amount of beauty among them, so that they passed for a family of pretty girls, but when he saw Sybella, he at once acknowledged that she surpassed them all. She was a bright little fairy, just entering womanhood. Curiously like Mabel, so he thought: indeed, he would not otherwise have admired her so much. "I am not surprised that Martha warned me," he thought to himself. "If it were not for Mabel, I should certainly have fallen in love with that little girl, and yet Mabel is her superior in many ways; I am sure of that." They were seated at the dinner-table when these thoughts came into Master Harry's head. Sybella's eyes met his. She blushed. Could she have divined his thoughts? His uncle was very kind. No man indeed appeared to better advantage at his dinner-table than did Mr. Coppinger. He at once made Harry feel perfectly at home, and as his cousins addressed him by his Christian name, he soon found himself calling them by theirs in return. "We must make a great deal of use of you, Harry," said Miss Coppinger. "We sadly want a beau to accompany us in the evenings when we go out. Father cannot often come with us. He comes home tired from business. We six spinsters have consequently to spend most of our time in solitude." "You do not look as if you had often been melancholy," said Harry. "However, I shall be very happy to be at your service whenever you choose to command me." "Very prettily spoken," answered Martha. When Harry glanced round at his six blooming cousins he felt that they were not likely often to be left in solitude. There were a few other guests at table--Alderman Bycroft and his wife and daughter; one a full-blown rose, the other a bursting bud, giving promise of the same full proportions as her mother. There was a young gentleman, the son of a wealthy distiller, dressed in the height of fashion, who seemed to consider that he was greatly honouring Mr. Coppinger's family by his presence, and there was another youth of unpretending appearance, who looked as if he felt himself highly honoured by the invitation, though he had in reality taken a high degree at the University, and was the descendant of a long line of proud ancestors. The distiller, Mr. Gilby, was inclined to patronise Harry, especially when he heard Lady Tryon spoken of.