Mildred: An Autumn Romance.

Perhaps now the object of his heart might be attained , his son might succeed him as Member for the County , and marry the Lady Ida Glenorne . Great was the excitement in St . Benet ' s when it was known that Captain Mathew was returning home invalided , and much the perturbation in fair Mildred ' s mind when her aunt Fanny , a dear old lady who had been disappointed herself in her younger days , and who had felt keenly for and sympathised with her neice , whose secret she had

discovered , told her cautiously of the news . And so as was stated in the first chapter , many were the bright eyes turned upon the Squire ' s pew as the General and his son took their seats in the Parish Church that Sunday morning . But Marmaduke never once looked towards the seat where Mildred sat , and when the service was over , walked wearily out of Church after his father , smiling a sad smile of recognition at such of his old friends as he noticed , hut stopping scarce a moment to speak to any one ;

Mildred , poor soul , had hurried out of Church and gone home ; it was but a few steps , and running up to her little chamber and throwing herself on the bed , cried till her large lustrous violet eyes looked quite sore with weeping . Aunt Fanny guessed the cause , but said nothing , though her heart bled for her darling ; but when she came down to dinner , quite placid ancl serene , the dear old lady rejoiced to see her look herself again . And shall it be owned that Mildred had many such tearfulsolitarycommunings

, , with her own heart and none else beside ? and will my readers think that she was weak because she loved this man , with all his faults , far clearer than her life ? Marmaduke stayed at home three months , but never showed by word or sign that he knew Mildred was at home . Indeed , so unaccountable was it all to her , poor girl , that she entreated her auiits to take her away somewhere ;' so after he had been at the Abbey a monthMildred and her aunt Fanny went off to the North of' England to the same

, friends they had visited before , who were now staying at the pleasant little bathingplace , Seaton Carew , and there remained during September and October . During the first part of his stay , it is true that Marmaduke had never after the first Sunday morning gone to the Parish Church ; perhaps he could not bear to see Mildred , but after she went away ( who could have told him she was gone ? ) he was there regularly every Sunday morning .

The General was not very astute , and did not notice this , but Miss Bethune , Mildred ' s aunt Mary , did , and putting this and that together as women will , concluded that it was not indifference which kept Captain Mathew away from her house . But time was getting on ; the General bad been keeping open house at the Abbey ; his widowed sister , Mrs . Tracy , had come" to do the honours , and Lord and Lady Glenorne , with two of their daughters , the Ladies Edith and Ida , had been staying there for the

past three weeks . It was the General' s custom to invite the whole of the leading families of St . Benet's to dinner once a year , ancl to one of the last of these dinnerparties in , November the Misses Bethune ancl Mildred , who had returned home , were invited . The Glenornes had gone , all but Lady Ida , who was specially begged to stay by Mrs . Tracy , who had , it appeared , taken a great fancy to her . She was a pretty lady-like girl of fashionable manners , possessed-of few ideas , but capable , " no doubt , of "

making a rich man happy .. -. ¦ - ., The General was much too proud to exclude Mildred , whom he ignored in fact so tar as his son was concerned , and she determined to go , for fear that St . Benet's would , talk more if she did not . It was a large dinner-party . Marmaduke , at his father ' s request , took clown Lady Ida ; the Vicar ' who has been just ordainedtakes down Mildred whom he much

s son , , admires . Mildred sings charmingly , and when the ladies had withdrawal she delights them in the drawing-room with her rendering of some of Moore's melodies , and quite wins the affections of Lady Ida , who is a warm-hearted Irishwoman , ancl a great lover or music . Marmaduke is also passionately fond of music , and speedily makes " an excuse to leave the dinner-table and join the ladies .