An Old, Old Story.

to the tender surveillance of her good old aunt . If her charms have already made a due impression upon some sentimental readers it may add to their favourable opinion of her told , that she vcas not penniless .

Though she had only inherited the comparatively modest portion of her mother , she had enough , as the French say , " pour tout potage , " or , as Ave say , for "bread and cheese . " Scanty , no doubt , her " dot " was in comparison Avith that of her richer

aunt , AVIIO having succeeded , as I before said , to the long savings of her brother , the judge , had increased the ample store sevenfold by her careful administration of the same , and had risen proportionately in the good opinion of her bankerthe family

, solicitor , and her felloAv citizens generally . Under these circumstances , it is not to be wondered at- that as many persons considered Lucy Longhurst an heiress , and all admired her good looks , she had as much admiration as is good for any one to receive

here . It is sometimes rather Avonderful and amusing to note the difference that " meney " often makes in respect of the admiration for the gentler sex of many of

our younger men . If she has " ochre , " to use a cant expression , it just makes all the difference , and it is , as they say , " a closer . " Indeed , to hear some young men talk , you Avould suppose that if they meet a young lady Avith money , oras they elegantly say" a pot "

, , , they have a right at once to appropriate her , and consider anyone else paying any attention to her , excessively impertinent . Men sometimes forget that Avomen—not excepting heiresses , —have ideas and tastes of their OAVU , and are not likely to be won

by that pretentious boldness which seems to say , "here I am , take me . " NOAV Lucy , though the most amiable of creatures , had not been much affected by all this out-Avard admhation . I am inclined to think that she rated it at its proper value , as all

sensible young women ought to do ; at any rate , she passed through it all smilingly and calmly , not altogether indifferent to it , as what Avoman is ? and thinking it , no doubt , all fair and proper , but steering her own course , and neither turning to the ri ght hand nor the left . Her female friends mostl y called her "dear Lucy , " if that

p hrase means anything ; and her male friends declared that she was an " aAvfully jolly ' girl , ' " a stunner , " " a clipper , ' praise so great , and so elegant , and so descriptive , that I should in vain seek to add to its force , or increase its energy and propriety by any of the old-fashioned and

more tranquil language of an earlier generation . I ought to have said in my last chapter that during that memorable afternoon Avhen Walter Mainwaring seemed at any rate to have found a sympathetic listener to his merry sallies in the fail

Lucy , whose sparkling eye and brightened countenance did you a great deal of good to look upon , a careful observer mi ght have discovered a " nuance" of dissatisfaction pass over , from time to time ,

the otherwise placid countenance of Miss Margerison . There are always a great number of people in the Avorld whose eyes seem-always open , and those valuable members of society had noticed that for some time pastMr . Walter Mainwaring , who Avas a

, neighbour of the two ladies , living at Apsley Lodge , about one mile distant from the Cedars , as Miss Mackenzie ' s cottage ornee was termed , had been a most regular visitor at that pleasant retreat . Indeed , some of the young neighbouring ladies had

kindly and sweetly observed that there was " no doubt at any rate that Mr . Mainwaring had joined the early closing movement , that he could not have much to do in the City , and that he seemed to live at the Cedars . "

And no doubt to some extent these little feminine sarcasms were quite Avell-founded . My readers—unless veiy dull—will have already guessed that constant friendshi p and neighbourly intercourse , had made both Miss Longhurst and Mr . Maimvaring not at all object to each other ' s societyon the

; contrary , it Avas evident to all that such a condition of affairs was equally appreciated and approved of by them both ; and I may say at once that there was no possible objection to Mr . Mainwaring . fie Avas , on the contrary , Avhat mammas would

call " an eligible young man , " Avhat the designing parent would think a most desirable " parti , " one whom the Avorld AVOUICI smile upon , and pat upon the back , and hi ghly commend , and think very well of ; for he Avas already the junior partner in a well-