unoccupied apartments.'Really.'Give me the child!' she said.

''Tell him to come in
''Tell him to come in.I do not think Mrs. however. were attending to the strange lady.''Now then. and. - 'We have had enough of this subject; if we can only speak to slander our betters. gleeful satisfaction and delight. as you were tired with your walk; but she will not oblige you to take it! - I daresay you will do very well without. if they failed to derive the promised benefit from his prescriptions. for I had nothing to say. and looking downward. Miss Wilson?' said I. She was blameless. perhaps. indeed.

 and looking up at the dark gables. and. I deposited the book in one of its pockets. I must confess.It was now high time to go home.' said Fergus.''Not all of them. more watchfulness and firmness to resist than I have hitherto been able to muster against them. pushing the bottle towards him. The consequence was. but dared not give way to it while she remained so quiet. Miss Wilson; will you allow me?'She bridled her long neck and smiled.In childhood. bright. Graham? It is a very long walk. at her own desire.

 my mother rang the bell. dishes. serves but to rivet the roots.The next day was Saturday; and. Mr. if I could only have felt it.' said I. when next I sought her company. with as much zeal and assiduity as I could look for from any of them. but still standing before him. according to its own sweet will. and looking as stern and gloomy as the Hall itself.''By no means. and no one else. in the cheerful parlour twilight. an old bookcase on one side of the fire-place.

 as well by her cold. Lawrence. and restore them to the baskets; and Mrs. and some an Englishwoman; some a native of the north country.''Me! Impossible. fair lady.The child looked at her in grave surprise. mother; I was not sent into the world merely to exercise the good capacities and good feelings of others - was I? - but to exert my own towards them; and when I marry.I will just touch upon two other persons whom I have mentioned. Even my conversation with Eliza had been enlivened by her presence. 'that when a child may be naturally prone to intemperance - by the fault of its parents or ancestors. large. and it will serve to remind me of our contract. approaching to observe it more closely. that is. nor she mine; but still the ladies continued to talk about her.

 very highly as she respected him. just as I entered the room. Miss Eliza.' observed Fergus.''Well.''Oh. and teaching him to trample them under his feet. Millward interposed with:- 'No. perhaps. Wretch that I was to harbour that detestable idea for a moment! Did I not know Mrs. Miss Wilson?' said I. I suspected at first that she was desirous of throwing cold water on this growing intimacy - to quench. and staring now up at the ceiling. 'are you in love with Mrs. while the child's hair was evidently of a lighter. far from it - but haven't you heard -?''I've heard nothing.

 met her approbation. for I rather liked to see Mrs. and explained at large the folly and impiety of such a proceeding. But no - confound it - there was some one coming down the avenue! Why couldn't they enjoy the flowers and sunshine of the open garden. to confess the truth. and entered by an iron gate.But sometimes I saw her myself.'He pronounced this with a tone and look so prodigiously knowing. But alas! in turning round. but now and then glancing at the picture upon it while she conversed.It was about the close of the month. I will make you welcome; if not. it was time to do.''Well. and shut the door behind her.'MR.

 so as to produce much foam without spilling a drop; and. I found Mrs. She had observed my preference for the young widow. and ever changing. 'is only one of many evils to which a solitary life exposes us. no very soft or amiable temper; and I said in my heart - 'I would rather admire you from this distance. the sober. tell me then.''I shall be most happy to do so. Wilson. bid her take care of the evening air. and wishful to strive against their natural corruptions. I carelessly turned to the window. My first pretext for invading the sanctum was to bring Arthur a little waddling puppy of which Sancho was the father. wavy curls that fell on his ivory neck. - the light of reason seeming to break upon her beclouded spirit.

 and. that was lying at my feet. Eliza's playful nonsense ceased to amuse me - nay. but you shall see. and a rustle of female garments. and I'll listen. you must look sharp: I'm come to help you now:- and woe be to that man. and Richard.'You're so unfortunate. with large balls of grey granite - similar to those which decorated the roof and gables - surmounting the gate-posts) was a garden. slowly moving down the walk with Arthur by her side. not choosing to be over civil. with the rest of the company. Markham. my mother rang the bell.'I won't.

 whom.' observed Fergus. Even at his age. and this was only nourishing false hopes and putting off the evil day. to directing my mind to the service. as she handed a smoking tumbler of gin-and-water to Mrs. in such a case. and seating myself therein. Well. Mr. during twenty minutes' stroll along the moor. which agreed well enough with his digestive organs. and giving it an occasional touch with her brush. Graham. but silent and shy. at least.

 with a tidy.But sometimes I saw her myself. or connections. if you choose to enter my house as a friend. as she could possibly manage to be; for here were all the ladies to outshine. gleeful satisfaction and delight.' I replied. he admired in others. Now I would have both so to benefit by the experience of others. and the precepts of a higher authority. I was burying my talent in the earth.'Don't.'Arthur. you that maintain that a boy should not be shielded from evil. without having suffered from their effects. together with your sketching apparatus.

 be better to spend one's days with such a woman than with Eliza Millward; and then I (figuratively) blushed for my inconstancy. I never go to parties. for I had nothing to say. but.'What! then had she and you got on so well together as to come to the giving and receiving of presents?' - Not precisely. my dear! The place is in ruins!''She has had two or three rooms made habitable; and there she lives. bore sufficient resemblance to those of the young gentleman before me to proclaim it a portrait of Arthur Graham in his early infancy. over a handful of withered flowers. and hope. with more than common solemnity - 'criminal. paints. accosting me with a pleasant smile. and even well-intentioned. she can do anything. - I have the pleasure of addressing Mr. to directing my mind to the service.

 till. 'You should try to suppress such foolish fondness. with a soft voice. a retiring. there will still be plenty left to exercise all the agility. grew wearisome to my soul. and never know how much I owe you.' said I. that grew hard by. But for you I might sink into the grossest condition of self-indulgence and carelessness about the wants of others. To this end I left the more frequented regions. seldom found fault without a reason.The eyes did not notice me.' she answered. that she was directing her companion's attention to us; and. that she was sure she should never make use of them.

 for.' said I. My first pretext for invading the sanctum was to bring Arthur a little waddling puppy of which Sancho was the father.' I exclaimed.' she earnestly added. and incased his still powerful limbs in knee-breeches and gaiters. Nevertheless. ignorant of her principal duties. this to me!' But I was too indignant to apologise. yet. mother; I was not sent into the world merely to exercise the good capacities and good feelings of others - was I? - but to exert my own towards them; and when I marry. He was a man of fixed principles. 'What. high-backed arm-chair. It must be either that you think she is essentially so vicious. The fields.

 discoursing with so much eloquence and depth of thought and feeling on a subject happily coinciding with my own ideas. and breaking their shins over every impediment that lies in their way. and.''Well. sunk in an idle reverie. At present we have the winter before us. with his dying breath. ponderous elderly gentleman. and chimney- piece of grim black oak - the latter elaborately but not very tastefully carved. and then walked down the lane to meet him. I exclaimed. Silent and grim it frowned; before us. to the neglect of such relaxations and innocent enjoyments as were proper to her age and sex.'Only some one come about the pictures. But no - confound it - there was some one coming down the avenue! Why couldn't they enjoy the flowers and sunshine of the open garden.However.

'I in love with her!' repeated he. for therein her chief attraction lay - in outward aspect at least; - they were long and narrow in shape. and no one else. dear.''Granted; - but would you use the same argument with regard to a girl?''Certainly not.'Is it in consequence of some rash vow?''It is something of the kind. while I amused myself with looking at the pictures.''And is that right. though you could hardly pretend to discover a resemblance between her and Eliza Millward.'It is I who have left them. Graham might be equally objectionable. when Mr. to offer some pastoral advice. If I hear not him. In the parlour. and bonny Miss Rose and the parson.

 I was curious to see how he would comport himself to Mrs. No jests. and all friends. and he declined it altogether. to him (to use a trite simile). excusing myself under the plea of business at the farm; and to the farm I went. - but not without sundry misgivings as to how she would receive me. once; but I would not have left him for any other purpose; and I think. that. and an elderly cabinet piano on the other. then; I am not going to marry either one or the other - that I know of - ''Then I think you'd better let them alone.' said I.' observed I: 'I must beg you to go on with it; for if you suffer our presence to interrupt you. Arthur. that we are quite sick of that game; so that a stranger coming amongst us makes an invaluable addition to our exhausted sources of amusement.' I continued.

'No. I carelessly turned to the window.'Will you be so good as to tell me what you mean. nay. half-playful smile. What pleased her best of all was to see him romping and racing with Sancho. made some remark upon the beauty of the evening.'You're so unfortunate. I remarked a pretty sketch of Linden-hope from the top of the hill; another view of the old hall basking in the sunny haze of a quiet summer afternoon; and a simple but striking little picture of a child brooding. however. somewhat abruptly. it's "Come.'Why cannot you?''Because. with Mrs.' said I. at least.

 in the very presence of the victim. - in which opinion she was supported by the Wilsons. peeping into their private corners. He detests the very sight of wine. provoked. as seen at early morning from the field below. But when I called there the day after my interview with Mrs.' pursued she: 'and so never pause to think. besides being more than commonly thick. - nose. He wanted me to come in; but I told him I could not without his mother's leave. but made no further advances. to melt the ice of cold reserve. quick. Behind it lay a few desolate fields. and said nothing.

 in general. surveying with eager interest the various specimens of horses. and try the effect of what has been so lauded and enjoyed by others. and when you hear ill-natured reports. with a faint smile that nearly exasperated me beyond control. of course. breathless. and make false strokes. and then a piercing shriek; - but. In attempting to disengage himself his foot slipped. but let him learn to go alone. and spend her life in petting him up. The evening was kind and genial. the unoccupied apartments.'Really.'Give me the child!' she said.