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HARDEN HALL.

CHAPTER I.

THE Honourable and Reverend Arthur Selby had married early in life the daughter of the Honourable George Lyndsay, and soon after their marriage he had been presented to the living of Tonnington, in the south of England. Thither he took his fair bride; and though she had been accustomed to a very different country, having been brought up on the romantic banks of the Wye, and with every luxury both in the country and in town, she rejoiced in the change: she had chosen her own lot in life, and a happy one it proved to her. There seemed little fear of the illustrious family of Selby coming to an

VOL. I.

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end; for their union had been blest with many children: ten in all.

The sons were dispersed in different parts of the world, in various professions; but it is chiefly with the daughters that my tale has to do, so we leave the sons to speak for themselves.

Mrs. Selby had still remains left of great personal beauty, though of late years, through ill health, her fine commanding figure had become slightly bent. But nothing could change the sweetness of her expression, which beamed with goodness. The mildness of her soft blue eyes formed a fine contrast to the hue of her hair, which, though now intermingled with grey, showed that in her youthful days it had been a dark hazel brown.

Our history commences at an important epoch in Catherine Selby's life, when she had attained the bewitching age of seventeen, and was preparing to make her début under the chaperonage of her grandmother, Lady Anne Lyndsay. She was full of joyful anticipations of all the pleasure that awaited her in the great metropolis.

It was towards the end of May, and the few trees that grace Grosvenor-square were looking greener and fresher than they ever do at any other time of the year, when a travelling chariot was seen to stop at No. 46, Grosvenor-street.

It is always rather a nervous and agitating moment whilst waiting for the ring of the doorbell to be answered, and so Catherine Selby found it on the present occasion. Not that anything approaching fear mixed with her feelings of joy. She knew she was shortly to be warmly embraced by her grandmother, and that nothing but pleasure awaited her; still she thought, if I am disappointed: if this London life does not answer all my expectations: if she was beginning to torture herself with doubts, when the door was opened, and rushing up-stairs she found herself in her grandmother's arms. "My dearest granny, how well you are looking, and how lovely the room is! Newly furnished, and a new pianoforte! How lovely everything looks! I am so happy to be with you again."

"And so am I, dearest child, to see you

here; but now tell me how your mother is, an when the rest intend to join us?—for come they must this season for a short time. Your grandfather says he insists on their doing so. What accounts have you of your brothers? and all the others, are they well?"

The good old lady inquired after the whole family individually. All these questions Catherine was charmed to answer, for her heart overflowed with affection to those she had left. Her grandmother now begged she would take some refreshment, and rest herself; for,

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aid she, smiling and patting the beaming cheek of her beloved grandchild, "You are to begin your gaiety to-night, by going to a small soirée dansante at Lady Julia Read's; and as this is your first appearance in the gay world, I wish you to look particularly well, not wearied as if from a journey."

"Oh, how charming! a dance to-night? I am not a bit tired: quite ready for anything, not the least inclined to lie down: much more ready to frisk about ;" and, humming a waltz, she began whirling round the room.

"Stop, stop, dear Catherine, you must be

severe.

under orders;" and Lady Anne Lyndsay tried: (though without success) to look decided and. "You positively must save yourself for this evening: and now come and see your new apartment." So saying, they both left the drawing-room, and proceeded up-stairs.

When they reached the landing-place, Catherine was turning to the right; but her grandmother said, "I have a new room for you, my love, away from the street, that you may be enabled to sleep quietly after all your gaieties: it is fitted up with your favourite pink, so I hope you will like it."

"Oh! it is lovely, indeed!" exclaimed. Catherine; "a perfect boudoir !"

In fact, it was so; it was octagon, with pannelled oak wainscoting: that dark rich oak that our forefathers so much admired. The bedstead was also of dark oak, carved; and so were four chairs, and a curiously made table, in the window. This had always been a great favourite of Catherine's, because when shut up it appeared a round table, and when the legs. were drawn on one side, it became an oldfashioned arm-chair. But amongst all this

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