CONTENTS.

PAGE
[CHAPTER I.]
THE YOUNG AND THE OLD 1
[CHAPTER II.]
A FAMILY PARTY 18
[CHAPTER III.]
CONFIDENCES 39
[CHAPTER IV.]
ROLAND 53
[CHAPTER V.]
WARNING 62
[CHAPTER VI.]
DANCING TEAS 83
[CHAPTER VII.]
THE FIRST OF THEM 104
[CHAPTER VIII.]
A NEW COMPETITOR 126
[CHAPTER IX.]
A DOUBLE MIND 148
[CHAPTER X.]
STRAIGHTFORWARD 166
[CHAPTER XI.]
A CENTRE OF LIFE 183
[CHAPTER XII.]
WAS IT LOVE? 195
[CHAPTER XIII.]
CHRISTMAS 209
[CHAPTER XIV.]
THE PARTY AT THE GRANGE 234

HESTER.


HESTER.

[CHAPTER I.]

THE YOUNG AND THE OLD.

"I like your Roland," said Miss Vernon. She had come to pay one of her usual visits to her old relations. The grandson whom Hester had made acquaintance with without seeing his face, had now been nearly a week at the Vernonry and was known to everybody about. The captain's precautions had, of course, come to nothing. He had gone, as in duty bound, to pay his respects to the great lady who was his relation too, though in a far-off degree, and he had pleased her. Catherine thought of nothing less than of giving a great pleasure to her old friends by her praise. "He is full of news and information, which is a godsend to us country folks, and he is very good-looking, qui ne gâte rien."