"Is there any news, papa?" continued Ellen Ravensworth.
"No, love, none at all, except the arrival of the Earl of Wentworth at Dun Edin Towers."
"Ha! are they come?" asked the young officer. "Is Captain de Vere of the party?"
"Let's see—there's the Earl, Francis de Vere, his brother, and the Ladies Edith and Florence—no mention of the Captain; but stay, here he is—'Captain the Hon. de Vere, accompanied by the Marquis of Arranmore, is expected to join the noble family in a few days; on dit that the young Marquis is shortly to lead the beautiful and accomplished Lady Edith de Vere to the hymeneal altar.'"
"Ah! I knew that before," remarked Captain L'Estrange; "you know De Vere is my senior officer in the 7th Hussars."
"Then you know him, I suppose?" asked Ellen.
"I should think I do just, we are great chums."
"What is he like?" asked Ellen.
"Always the same question, Nelly. Well, he has a dashing, soldierly look, as fierce as a Turk; curiously enough, I am thought rather like him by some of our fellows, though I hope I am not such a wild slip."
"That's as much as to say you are a dashing, soldierly-looking man," said Ellen, smiling maliciously.