The scene now changes from Dr. Lacey’s to the “Indian Nest,” on the lake shore.  It was a charming spot, and looked as if intended only for the inhabitation of the pure and innocent.  Yet even there was crafty ambition and base deceit.  Julia was there, eagerly seeking to wind her coils securely around her long watched-for prey.  To all eyes but her own she seemed not likely to succeed, for though Dr. Lacey admired her and possibly treated her with more attention than he did either Mabel or Florence, yet his heart still turned to Fanny, and for hours he would sit, talking to Julia of her sister, while she schooled herself to answer all his questions without one sign of impatience.

Occasionally she would speak to Dr. Lacey of his cousin, young Stanton, and would tell how much pleasure Fanny seemed to take in his society.  But this produced no effect, for Dr. Lacey had learned from Stanton himself of his approaching marriage with Miss Ashton.  Then Julia pulled another string and expatiated so largely upon Frank Cameron’s sayings and doings that Dr. Lacey became really uneasy, for recently he had thought seriously of again writing to Fanny, and now he determined to do so.

Without knowing it, Julia was herself the means of causing this determination to be carried into effect.  One night she and Dr. Lacey had been strolling for more than an hour through the many delightful walks in the garden, which lay upon the lake shore.  To her great satisfaction, they were entirely alone, for Mr. Middleton and Florence were engaged in their favorite game of chess, while Mabel was eagerly listening to Ashton, who was relating to her some of his India adventures.  Mabel had good sense enough to know that her efforts to win Dr. Lacey would be useless, and rather reluctantly she had given him up.  Now her eyes grew brighter and her heart beat faster whenever Ashton approached.  But, fair Mabel, your hopes are all in vain.

For Inez, the Spaniard,
Is o’er the sea,
And the heart thou wouldst win
Is not destined for thee.

As we have before said, Julia was delighted at having Dr. Lacey thus to herself, and she resolved to increase the favorable impression she knew she had already made upon him.  Most admirably was her part played.  Fanny herself could not have been more gentle and agreeable than was Julia, as, together with Dr. Lacey, she traversed the broad walks of the garden.  Sweet and soothing were the words she poured into his ear, occasionally administering a little well-timed flattery, and wishing, as she had once done before to another individual in similar circumstances, that Dr. Lacey had been her brother.  He did not, like Mr. Wilmot, follow up this wish by a proposition that as he was not her brother she would accept him for a husband, but he pressed the hand, which, with seeming unconsciousness, had been placed on his, and said, “God knows how ardently I once hoped to be your brother, Julia.”