fl A Mental Struggle.
that Providonoo would soon throw just such another lover
in the paths of liis six remaining daughters.
Thus Sir Hugh and Lady Olivia Heriot began tlieir
married life in the quaint, rambling Elizabethan structuio
called The Chevies, that had been the home of Sir Hugh s
forefathers for generations; a charming, picturesque old
pilaee. situated in the wrv heart of sunny Devon.
After a veiy short time (as it appeared to hir), there
came a letter to Tiad}- Janet, telling of an heir born to the
Heriots. " He is the bonniest boy in all England," wrote
the voung mother proudly. She was e\'idoutly delighted
with him. And if the birth of a child gave her joy, certain
it was that time held for her \"orv niuoh joy in the future.
As the years went o\\, many more letters were despatohed
northwards, all containing news of t'itbev a son or daughter
born to the hapjiy }i:;rents, initil at length one day Sir
Hugh accidentally discovered that he was the father of
four as hand.-ome boys and three as pretty girls as the
countv could lninst.
About the s;inio tinu^ also he made a second disco\'orv—
not, alas ! so pleasant a oiu^ as the first—to the efFec'l that
he was by no means so rich a man as he had been. .tl.OOO
a. yc.'ir and a young wife is a xcry dilU'vont thing from
i'1,(10(1 a Aearwhenth(^ voung wife has bimight into the
world seven healthy children — aiulthey all »•(/•<; he;ilthy,
bloss them !
There was Tom, the beir beftu-o mentioned—a great, tall,
gii.ul looking fellow, with a caroloss, sweet- temper, "as like
his father at that age," said his luothei-. "as cxer a boy
could 1)1'." fie was about twenty-throe I hen (a \'e,ar a;;o),
and held a commission in a. (•a\ab\' roginu'nt—as he does
now, for the matter of that. A kind, lovable, not over-
brilliant young man, as groat a favourite with his brotluT-
oflicers as be was with evoryouo ('Isc who knew him.
After him came Constance, who resembled nobody in
particular, and who had gone olf remarkably well during
her first season. She had married a Mr. Travers, a voini"
man rather prepossessing in apiie.aranee when he lia'd any
expi'ossion in his face, which, unfortunately, A\as seldom.
He had a considerable property, however, about twelve
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