And this lover in the clouds.... Would Agnes open her heart to her on such a subject?... Had she any right to hope it?... Not yet, certainly not yet, thought Miss Compton as, the services of William over, and the tea-things removed, they drew nearer the fire; and she fixed her eyes anew on the beautiful face she so greatly loved to contemplate, partly because it was so beautiful, and partly because she could not trace in it the slightest resemblance to any member of the Wisett race. But soft and peaceful as was now the expression of that face, there might occasionally be seen by an accurate observer that indescribable look of thoughtfulness in the eyes which never arises till the mind has been awakened, upon some subject or other, to emotions of deep interest. Miss Compton was a very accurate observer, and saw, as plainly as Lavater himself could have done, that Agnes had learned to feel. The romantic old lady would have given her right hand to possess her confidence, but she was determined not to ask for it. "Do you think we shall be happy together, Agnes?" said she, in a voice which, when its cheerful tone was not exaggerated into the ironical levity in which she sometimes indulged, was singularly pleasing. "Do you think that you shall like to be my darling?" "Yes, I do," replied Agnes, with the sudden bluntness of sincerity; "but I think I shall plague you sometimes, aunt Betsy." "You have made up your mind to that already, have you?" returned Miss Compton, delighted at the playful tone in which she spoke; "then, in that case, I must make up my mind too, and contrive to make a pleasure of what you call a plague. How do you mean to begin, Agnes?... What will you do first?... Will you cry for the moon?" "Will you try to get it for me if I do, aunt Betsy?" said Agnes, laughing. "Yes, I will ... that is, if you will let me know what sort of moon it is, and to what part of the heavens I must turn to find it. Jupiter, you know, has...." "Oh! my moon is the highest and brightest of them all!..." said Agnes, with a sigh; and, after remaining silent for a moment, she added, ... "Aunt Betsy, may I tell you everything that has happened to me?" "If you love me well enough to do this, my child," said the delighted old lady, while, nevertheless, a tear glistened in her clear black eye,--"if you love me well enough, I shall feel that I have not given up my bees and my flowers for nothing." Agnes drew nearer, and, after a moment's hesitation, began. "I believe that all young ladies' histories have something about a gentleman in them, and so has mine...." "A _young_ gentleman, I hope, Agnes?" interrupted the aunt, with a smile. Agnes coloured a little, but replied, "He is not so very young, aunt Betsy, as to make his youth his most remarkable quality." "Very well, that is all quite right; he ought to be older than you, my dear.... Go on." "When I was at Clifton, aunt Betsy, I was often in company with Colonel Hubert...."