“Hem, indeed!” returned Lady Etherton, with a contemptuous look and manner. “This boy seems to be fortune’s favourite—a lucky chance, I suppose. I dare say, if Howard had had the opportunity, he would have done equally well.” “Of course he would,” returned the Baronet, confidently. “However, Howard shall not want either an opportunity or the means of distinguishing himself when the time comes. It is very clear every one cannot have the chance at the same time, or the service would be overrun with young heroes.” “Well,” observed the mother, “I am sure, when the time does come, my son will not be behind-hand in spirit or ability,” and so the conversation ended. Everything being prepared for a journey, Sir Godfrey Etherton and his daughter Jane took their departure in the family chariot with post horses. A journey from the family mansion to London, in those not very remote days, required nevertheless a whole twenty-four hours. On reaching town, our travellers took up their abode at Pierce’s hotel. Now, Jane Etherton was extremely anxious to see this little Mabel Arden; though she considered her a mere child, still she created a kind of excitement in her mind. Jane Etherton was not a handsome girl, and, we regret to add, by no means an amiable one; about twenty years of age, rather tall and slight in person, and vain and selfish in disposition; whilst her manner was extremely arrogant and overbearing to all she considered her inferiors, and to those of her own rank and station in life she was stiff and often supercilious. She had heard her mother say that the unexpected turning up of Miss Arden would materially diminish hers and her sister’s fortunes, as their father would be obliged to refund a very large sum which Miss Arden, as the daughter of Mr. Granby Arden, would by right inherit—Sir Godfrey being quite ignorant that his brother had ever married: therefore the unexpected appearance of this little girl was a most disagreeable event. “But,” continued the mother, “we may consider it a most fortunate circumstance that Miss Arden, who had a brother, alone lives to claim the inheritance. Her brother was beheaded, she asserts, somewhere in France, during the convulsions that overthrew the French monarchy: otherwise we should have lost not only the estate but the title.” We cannot vouch for the fact, but it was said that Miss Jane observed that it was a great pity something of the same kind did not happen to Miss Arden; for it was too bad to have to give up property so long considered her own. We presume, therefore, though Miss Jane was a little curious to see Mabel, she was not prepared to regard or receive her with any very kindly or cousinly feeling.