In a comfortably furnished parlour a family party were gathered, and about to sit down to their breakfast. The urn was hissing cheerily, as if inviting them to hasten to the repast. A handsome girl, perhaps eighteen years of age, presided over the tea-making, and was apparently too busily engaged to give much attention to the assiduous addresses of a young officer who sat on her right hand. In the window a boy of fifteen was aiding his younger sister in mastering her French lesson, while the head of the family stood with his back to the blazing fire, and read the papers. A pretty Skye terrier, looking wistfully into his master's face, as if to remind him he too was waiting for his morning supply of milk, completed the picture. "Do come to your breakfast, Johnny and Maude," said Ellen. "In one minute, we are almost finished," answered her brother. "No, come at once, or you will be late for your school." Both silently obeyed, and took their seats at table. "Is there any news, papa?" continued Ellen Ravensworth. "No, love, none at all, except the arrival of the Earl of Wentworth at Dun Edin Towers." "Ha! are they come?" asked the young officer. "Is Captain de Vere of the party?" "Let's see--there's the Earl, Francis de Vere, his brother, and the Ladies Edith and Florence--no mention of the Captain; but stay, here he is--'Captain the Hon. de Vere, accompanied by the Marquis of Arranmore, is expected to join the noble family in a few days; _on dit_ that the young Marquis is shortly to lead the beautiful and accomplished Lady Edith de Vere to the hymeneal altar.'" "Ah! I knew that before," remarked Captain L'Estrange; "you know De Vere is my senior officer in the 7th Hussars." "Then you know him, I suppose?" asked Ellen. "I should think I do just, we are great chums." "What is he like?" asked Ellen. "Always the same question, Nelly. Well, he has a dashing, soldierly look, as fierce as a Turk; curiously enough, I am thought rather like him by some of our fellows, though I hope I am not such a wild slip." "That's as much as to say _you_ are a dashing, soldierly-looking man," said Ellen, smiling maliciously. "No, no, not exactly; but talking of handsome men, the Earl is a good-looking fellow if you like it, and his sisters were quite the belles in town last season. The Prince Regent swears there is nothing like them. Are they to remain long North, Mr. Ravensworth?" "It doesn't say, but I fancy they will stay over Christmas. But I shall be late--is the tea ready, Ellen?--let us sit down, and we can talk about them as we drive in to Edinburgh." "Look, papa, how it snows," said Maude; "we shall have a cold drive; isn't it early for snow in November?" "Yes, love, but eat your breakfast, and talk after." Leaving them to do justice to their capital Scotch breakfast, we take this opportunity of making our readers better acquainted with the Ravensworth family.