CONTENTS

I. [THE DAWN OF A GALA DAY.]
II. [A NOVICE AMONGST THE GREAT FOLK.]
III. [MOLLY GIBSON'S CHILDHOOD.]
IV. [MR. GIBSON'S NEIGHBOURS.]
V. [CALF-LOVE.]
VI. [A VISIT TO THE HAMLEYS.]
VII. [FORESHADOWS OF LOVE PERILS.]
VIII. [DRIFTING INTO DANGER.]
IX. [THE WIDOWER AND THE WIDOW.]
X. [A CRISIS.]
XI. [MAKING FRIENDSHIP.]
XII. [PREPARING FOR THE WEDDING.]
XIII. [MOLLY GIBSON'S NEW FRIENDS.]
XIV. [MOLLY FINDS HERSELF PATRONIZED.]
XV. [THE NEW MAMMA.]
XVI. [THE BRIDE AT HOME.]
XVII. [TROUBLE AT HAMLEY HALL.]
XVIII. [MR. OSBORNE'S SECRET.]
XIX. [CYNTHIA'S ARRIVAL.]
XX. [MRS. GIBSON'S VISITORS.]
XXI. [THE HALF-SISTERS.]
XXII. [THE OLD SQUIRE'S TROUBLES.]
XXIII. [OSBORNE HAMLEY REVIEWS HIS POSITION.]
XXIV. [MRS. GIBSON'S LITTLE DINNER.]
XXV. [HOLLINGFORD IN A BUSTLE.]
XXVI. [A CHARITY BALL.]
XXVII. [FATHER AND SONS.]
XXVIII. [RIVALRY.]
XXIX. [BUSH-FIGHTING.]
XXX. [OLD WAYS AND NEW WAYS.]
XXXI. [A PASSIVE COQUETTE.]
XXXII. [COMING EVENTS.]
XXXIII. [BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS.]
XXXIV. [A LOVER'S MISTAKE.]
XXXV. [THE MOTHER'S MANŒUVRE.]
XXXVI. [DOMESTIC DIPLOMACY.]
XXXVII. [A FLUKE, AND WHAT CAME OF IT.]
XXXVIII. [MR. KIRKPATRICK, Q.C.]
XXXIX. [SECRET THOUGHTS OOZE OUT.]
XL. [MOLLY GIBSON BREATHES FREELY.]
XLI. [GATHERING CLOUDS.]
XLII. [THE STORM BURSTS.]
XLIII. [CYNTHIA'S CONFESSION.]
XLIV. [MOLLY GIBSON TO THE RESCUE.]
XLV. [CONFIDENCES.]
XLVI. [HOLLINGFORD GOSSIPS.]
XLVII. [SCANDAL AND ITS VICTIMS.]
XLVIII. [AN INNOCENT CULPRIT.]
XLIX. [MOLLY GIBSON FINDS A CHAMPION.]
L. [CYNTHIA AT BAY.]
LI. ["TROUBLES NEVER COME ALONE."]
LII. [SQUIRE HAMLEY'S SORROW.]
LIII. [UNLOOKED-FOR ARRIVALS.]
LIV. [MOLLY GIBSON'S WORTH IS DISCOVERED.]
LV. [AN ABSENT LOVER RETURNS.]
LVI. ["OFF WITH THE OLD LOVE, AND ON WITH THE NEW."]
LVII. [BRIDAL VISITS AND ADIEUX.]
LVIII. [REVIVING HOPES AND BRIGHTENING PROSPECTS.]
LIX. [MOLLY GIBSON AT HAMLEY HALL.]
LX. [ROGER HAMLEY'S CONFESSION.]
[CONCLUDING REMARKS.] [By the Editor
of The Cornhill Magazine.]

ILLUSTRATIONS

[MOLLY'S NEW BONNET.]
[A LOVE LETTER.]
[VÆ VICTIS!]
[THE NEW MAMMA.]
[UNWELCOME ATTENTIONS.]
[SHAKSPEARE AND THE MUSICAL GLASSES.]
[FIRST IMPRESSIONS.]
[ROGER IS INTRODUCED AND ENSLAVED.]
["TU T'EN REPENTIRAS, COLIN."]
["WHY, OSBORNE, IS IT YOU?"]
[THE BURNING OF THE GORSE.]
[THE LAST TURNING.]
["OH! IT IS NO WONDER!"]
["I TRUST THIS WILL NEVER OCCUR AGAIN, CYNTHIA!"]
[THERE STOOD MR. PRESTON AND CYNTHIA.]
[LADY HARRIET ASKS ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS.]
["MAMAN, MAMAN!"]
["CYNTHIA'S LAST LOVER."]

CHAPTER I.
THE DAWN OF A GALA DAY.

o begin with the old rigmarole of childhood. In a country there was a shire, and in that shire there was a town, and in that town there was a house, and in that house there was a room, and in that room there was a bed, and in that bed there lay a little girl; wide awake and longing to get up, but not daring to do so for fear of the unseen power in the next room—a certain Betty, whose slumbers must not be disturbed until six o'clock struck, when she wakened of herself "as sure as clockwork," and left the household very little peace afterwards. It was a June morning, and early as it was, the room was full of sunny warmth and light.