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daughter. She was herself too young and handsome to brook the prospect of being outshone or rivalled by one in Aline's position.

"And what a handsome fellow that Angelo is!" continued his Royal Highness; "why all our young men will be jealous of him! I declare there is Mervyn looking daggers at him already. Ah, Lady Adelaide, your daughter is not so young either that she cannot do some mischief."

But Aline had now arrived, leaning on the young Italian's arm, truly with the blush of a rose on her delicate cheek, her eyes sparkling with timid excitement.

The Duke assailed her with playful compliments and praises.

"We must have you off to Italy, young lady," he concluded by saying, " and there you will become such a syren that we shall have Laporte kidnapping you,-shall we not Signor Angelo? But joking apart, Seyton, you must let your daughter have some good instruction;

Lady Adelaide tells me she has had very little, only Madame C., who is a clever woman, but," shrugging his shoulders, "not grande chose after all."

"I leave all that to Lady Adelaide," answered Sir Alexander, with a grave smile; "for my part I think Aline sings quite well enough already for all intents and purposes, but Lady Adelaide will, of course, do all that is right and necessary."

"Oh yes ! Aline shall have a few more good lessons," said her Ladyship. "If Signor Angelo, for instance," she continued turning to him with a gracious smile, "would accord her. the great favour-I know you do not give lessons, but...."

"Oh I command him to do so," playfully cried the Duke, "he would not be so ungallant a gentleman as to refuse. What do you say, Miss Aline?"

Aline, now leaning on her father's arm, lifted her eyes with a smile, and met those of her

(as it might have seemed) unwilling masterblushing she hastily withdrew them.

"What do you say, Signor Angelo ?" asked Lady Adelaide.

The colour rose to the young man's brow, and he looked grave, but at this last appeal he bowed, murmuring—" I am at your Ladyship's service," and entered speedily into an arrangement for the same with Lady Adelaide, the two being considerately left together, as his Royal Highness said, to arrange all necessary matters for royalty of that date, was, as all know, very kindly officious in the affairs of others whenever their interest was enlisted in any cause-and our Duke in question was a great fanatico per la musica.

CHAPTER VII.

"Some fall in love with voices, some with eyes,

Some men are linked together by a tear;

Others by smiles; many who cannot tell

What time the angel pass'd who left the spell."

FABER.

THE singing lessons commenced. They were carried on in the large saloon, the voices accompanied by the splendid instrument it contained, under the surveillance of a staid English governess, seated with a book or work, in a situation which commanded the best view of the lively park.

Sometimes a young sister was allowed to be present for the improvement of her musical taste, but soon Aline was the only one of the

young party who remained in town. The others were sent to a villa at Wimbledon-Ada, the eldest, being somewhat delicate-to spend the remainder of the period, political affairs detained Sir Alexander from the country.

Lady Adelaide divided her time equally between the two establishments; occasionally she joined Aline in her lessons to sing or to listen, but it was seldom that her numerous engagements would allow her leisure for such occupations.

Her Ladyship, however, dwelt much upon the value of the instruction now afforded to Aline, and her hope that she would do her best to profit by it to the utmost, for it was worth its weight in gold.

And Aline thought indeed it might be so, if it were profitable to listen to a voice, whose slightest tone was music-a voice which she felt to steal into her soul, and modulate her notes to his ; but in the art of teaching in a theoretical sense she began to fancy her talented master

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