She would hazard all on a blind toss! she had passed the Rubicon! however foolish the step it was now too late! Such were Ellen's thoughts as she lounged on the sofa, while poor L'Estrange plodded his solitary way to Arthur's Seat through the snow, thinking on Ellen, and wondering at her changed behaviour of late. CHAPTER III. "The Earl was a wrathful man to see." _Lay of the Last Minstrel._ A few doors from the Ravensworths lived a gentleman named Lennox. As his name argued, he was descended from a good stock, but his family had gradually sunk in the scale of life till he was glad to accept a situation in His Majesty's Revenue Office at Edinburgh. Mr. Lennox was certainly gifted in his personal appearance, but this was in a way much lessened by his intolerable conceit. It is not often that we find big men consequential, but Mr. Lennox was the "_exceptio regulam probat_." He was conceited of himself, and his height, and looks. He was conceited of his name, being distantly connected with the Duke of Richmond. He was conceited of his family, which consisted of several rather dashing girls, the rear brought up by an infant "son and heir," as he rather ostentatiously informed the world through the papers. He walked as if the ground was not good enough for him, he spoke as if his word must be law: and, like all his class, though dogmatical in the extreme, was not often right,--when he did happen to be so, one never heard the end of it. Still with all his foibles he was gentlemanly, and had long been a friend of the Ravensworths; he liked, too, to have an occasional _tete-a-tete_ with the fair Ellen, whom he fancied as much pleased by his assiduous court, as he was by her lightest smile. Mr. Lennox was a great man in his county, being a Justice of the Peace, and remarkable for his rigorous sentences; for, being strictly moral himself, he had no pity on the erring. He was a great man in his village, the author and finisher of all improvements, the chairman of every public meeting; he was also a great man in his church, being copartner in the churchwardenship with Mr. Ravensworth, who allowed him almost entirely to manage things his own way. This office afforded him an excuse to guide his feet oftener towards Seaview than he could otherwise have done. On the Sunday following the events narrated in our last chapter, Mr. Lennox, Mr. Ravensworth, and near them Johnny, might have been seen standing on the steps of the Episcopal church. The two former conversed together on some real or fancied improvement Mr. Lennox wanted to introduce in the stove department of the church. Afternoon service had been over some time; Ellen, Maude, and their guest had already gone home, leaving Johnny to follow with his father. The clerk stood, key in hand, respectfully waiting Mr. Lennox's pleasure. Having brought Mr. Ravensworth at last to his own way of thinking, Mr. Lennox ordered the