matrimonial nature must have been indirectly, if not directly, made; and she felt a sort of trembling anxiety to ascertain how far the heart of Edward Dagworth had been interested in the proposition.

It was then that she first became aware of the majestic beauty of his features, and the air of lofty rectitude and amiable frankness which they expressed; and then, he was so different from the stern sectarians, rude levellers, and wily politicians, whom she was accustomed to meet at the house of her Uncle Ireton! With neither of these classes had she a feeling or sympathy in common; their manners were offensive to her taste, and she regarded their projects for the subversion of the laws and religion of her forefathers with alarm and terror; while the dread that she might one day be made the bond and victim of a conventional plight between the men of her family and some influential party leader, perpetually haunted and disquieted her. In contradistinction to a destiny so revolting to her feelings, she was at times tempted to picture to her youthful fancy the possibility of becoming the wife of Edward Dagworth, till the idea became a fondly cherished hope; and she even felt pleasure in the thought of devoting her wealth to the very purpose so earnestly contemned by her father, that of building up the ruined fortunes of his ancient house; of which every member, even those haughty parents of his, who regarded her and hers as beings far beneath their high caste, became objects of powerful interest to her.

Edward Dagworth meantime was far from being unconscious of the charms of his lovely neighbour; and in such cases there is always a sort of undefined intelligence which silently informs a pair so situated as these were, that they are becoming dear to each other. It is certain that the eyes of both met oftener than they were accustomed to do; and on meeting were mutually withdrawn in confusion, till at length, without having exchanged a single sentence of love, they were reciprocally wooed and won, and mutely established on the footing of lovers.

Their parents, their friends, the world suspected it not; but they understood each other’s feelings, and that was enough for them. Opportunity alone was needed to cement those silent vows of love and lasting faith before the altar of God.

The erection of the royal standard at Nottingham, and the eventful scenes that followed, served to remove them from their dreaming bliss. The storm of civil war had burst upon the land, and was arraying brothers against brothers, fathers against sons; no wonder, then, if rivals and political foes were espousing adverse causes.

Edward Dagworth engaged in the service of his insulted sovereign with no common ardour; and his name was soon proudly distinguished among the gallant partisans of the royal cause. Even the hoary-headed knight, his father, forgot the infirmities of age to assume the cuirass and steel cap, and sentenced the last of his oak groves to the axe, to assist in raising a regiment for the service of the king.

Ralph Milbourne, though little qualified to play the soldier, found himself a person of consequence with the adherents of the parliament, to whom his wealth was, in the outset of their enterprise, before they had obtained the power of making the cavaliers pay the charges of the warfare against themselves, a matter of great importance; and for the use of this they were contented not only to allow him the exorbitant interest he demanded, but bestowed upon him, in addition, both civil and military rank in their embryo republic; paying him, at the same time, those flattering compliments and attentions that had always been the objects of his ambition, and the lack of which, the mainspring of his disaffection to the government and of his hatred to the higher classes. Neither his wealth, his magnificent establishment, nor his assumption of consequence, had been able to procure for him, in the neighbourhood of his Norfolk estates, the respect he coveted. Sir Reginald Dagworth was evidently regarded there as a sort of hereditary sovereign by the peasantry and yeomanry; and the profound homage with which every member of this ancient but impoverished family was treated, was the generous, unbought offering of the heart, which gold could never purchase.

Ralph Milbourne was evidently considered as an upstart stranger, and the more he added house to house, and field to field, the greater object of dislike did he become in that neighbourhood; where loyalty