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4° WILD MARGARET.
Madge. You must paint one for me. By George! my
uncle has got more mother wit in his little finger than I
have in the whole of my body! Why didn’t J give youa
commission for a picture the first moment I knew you
were an artist!’ .
‘‘T shouldn’t have accepted it,’ she said, smiling down
athim. ‘But I’ll paint you a picture, Blair; I will do it
after I have finished this. Business must be attended| to,
. you know, my lord.”’
He laughed. “ f.
‘‘T wonder what he’ll give you for that, Madge?” he gaid.
‘‘He ought to give youa hundred pounds. It’s worth it.
I'd give you a thousand if you'd let me.” a
‘“You’d ruin yourself, we all know,” she said lightly,
scarcely paying any heed to what she said, then as she saw)
him wince she dropped her brush and put her arm round
his neck penitently.
‘*QOh, Blair, I meant nothing!’ she murmured.
“IT know, I know, dearest!’ he said gravely. / ‘‘ But
your light words reminded me of the fool I have been.
But that is all altered now. Do you know that I have not
made a single bet since—since you gave yourself to me?
Not And I’m living as steady an existence as that man
who always went home to tea. Austin says it won’t and
can’t last; but we shall see.”’ oe
It was always Austin. Scarcely ten sentences without
his name cropping up.
‘*I don’t see why Mr. Ambrose should discourage you,
Blair,’”’ she said, smiling. ‘‘ But you can prove him in the
wrong all the more triumphantly.”’ she added. .
He laughed as he kissed her, telling her that she was his
good angel, and that while she would continue to love him
he was all right; but when he had gone, and she sat lis-
tening to his departing footsteps, she pondered over Austin
Ambrose’s words. .
The next two days she worked hard at her picture, and
on the third finished it.
“What shall Ido, grandma?” she said to Mrs. Hale. ‘‘I
am going to London to-morrow, you know. Shall I send
the picture from there, or give it to Mr. Stibbings to take
to his lordship?” .
‘Give it to Mr. Stibbings,” said Mrs. Hale, ‘‘ with your
dutiful respects and compliments, my dear.”?
Margaret gave the picture to Mr. Stibbings, but with her
compliments only, and presently that important function-
ary returned.
. Vould Miss Hale honor the earl by joining him in the
picture gallery?
Margaret went at once, and found him standing before
are }