that day was his birthday. He proposed then to have a regular féte on that day, and he invited Mrs. and Miss Blair to drive down with him to the Star and Garter at Richmond, and dine with him at that celebrated hotel. Lucy had great misgivings about the result of this holiday, for she had had no little trouble, for some time past, in keeping Grinlay Snarl quite at that distance, and on those terms, which alone enabled her to tolerate his presence.

For some weeks he had every day tried to approach his chair a little closer to hers; once or twice he had called her “Lucy,” a liberty she greatly disliked, although she did not know exactly how to show that it annoyed her, without giving offence. In the same way she felt uncomfortable at receiving the little presents he was always bringing, such as some newly-invented pen, or some wondrously cheap papers for authorship; a bottle of that great desideratum-very black and yet very fluid ink; a bunch of flowers bought in the

street, or some such trifle. Lucy' could not help feeling that there was something loverlike in the manner in which these tributes were offered; and yet she dreaded to offend, and to appear prudish, by refusing them. Then, again, he often presumed to 'meddle, advise, and even dictate, about her dress, her hair particularly, and to be very cheerful and elated if it was done in the style he admired, namely, in turban bands, with a plait placed like a coronet, round her head, and the rest of her abundant back hair in plaited loops behind. But he was very sulky if any other fashion was adopted. Altogether he was to Lucy a most tormenting and intolerable bore, and yet she was obliged to keep that opinion to herself, for its expression greatly distressed her mother, whose delicacy of health had been increased by the thick fogs of a London winter and spring, and who felt the deepest gratitude to Grinlay Snarl for having supplied Lucy with remunerative occupation, that pre

vented her being obliged to spend her days from home.

Another dangerous symptom, in Lucy's opinion, was that latterly Mr. Grinlay Snarl had become very solicitous about his own appearance, and anxious about his dress.

Light kid gloves, patent leather boots, gay coloured ties, cosmetics, warm baths, hair-dye, and fashionable scents were all summoned, with the aid of a first-rate tailor, to make an exquisite of the elderly pedant.

Never would he put on his spectacles in Lucy's presence; he did not mind Mrs. Blair's-but in Lucy's never. All these things considered, Lucy had a strong presentiment of evil resulting from the birthday to be kept at Richmond; but her mother seemed all anxiety to make it a real holiday to Mr. Grinlay Snarl, and Lucy could not bear to disappoint or distress that beloved mother.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE BIRTHDAY.

NEVER did a brighter sun shine in a cerulean sky than on the morning of Grinlay Snarl's birthday.

He gave no hint as to what year had had the honour of giving to the world so great a genius. He was too vain to tell the truth on this delicate point, and too proud to tell a falsehood; but he always classed himself with Lucy and "young people," and spoke to and of Mrs. Blair as "the old lady," and "mamma;" and Mrs. Blair, who saw everything connected with

Grinlay Snarl couleur de rose, often assured Lucy that she believed any appearances of age in him were deceptive, and brought on prematurely by study. It had been arranged between Mrs. Blair and Mr. Grinlay Snarl that he should call for them about twelve at noon in the brougham he was to have for the day. And Lucy, as she sat down to breakfast at nine, was rejoicing in the idea of three hours of security and freedom from him, when a note to Mrs. Blair convinced her she was out in her reckoning. It was from Mr. Grinlay Snarl, and accompanied some fruit, a fine tongue, and a box of sardines. It was only a little three-cornered billet, containing a few lines, which were as follows:

"MY DEAR MAMMA,'

:

I find I cannot afford to lose three hours of my holiday, so I hope you will allow me, as it is my birthday, to breakfast with you and Lucy. I shall follow my note immediately, and send something towards the repast.

Yours ever, and more than ever,

GRINLAY SNARL."