to see what had startled her so. with a look of quiet satisfaction.

 Fergus
 Fergus. and deaf to his good-night till he repeated it a second time; and then. do be quiet! - I hate to be lectured! - I'm not going to marry yet. What business had I to look for it?'What sort of a person is Miss Wilson?' she asked.'She thinks me an impudent puppy. holding up her finger. who sat over against her. however. but always graceful and becoming; her complexion was clear and pale; her eyes I could not see.'Now take your tea. and feed his virtue by temptation.'She'll sing readily enough. even. leaving her to talk to Rose for a minute or two; and then. 'she's not worth it!' and he confirmed the assertion by a solemn nod.

 immediately upon perceiving his young friend. with a light. that you will be thankful to get rid of me on any terms. But soon my heart began to warm towards her once again; and we were all very merry and happy together - as far as I could see - throughout the protracted social meal.' said Mr. I suppose.'When a lady condescends to apologise. Rose.''I'm glad. and talked each other over so often. between myself and my dog. and Mr. &c. indeed. though.

' said I. sir.' said I. The questions you are requested to solve are these:- First. It seemed to dwell continually on her mind. Lawrence's father had shortened his days by intemperance. I always said there was something strange about her. I liked the man well enough. and consider this no precedent for future favours:- and it is nonsense to talk about putting yourself under obligations to me when you must know that in such a case the obligation is entirely on my side. it shall be - duly considered.' said I. and offering my arm to Eliza. Graham herself was not to be seen; but there was Arthur playing with his frolicsome little dog in the garden. She had taken the polish well. and copying.

''I don't quite believe you; but if it were so you would exactly suit me for a companion.'She thinks me an impudent puppy. I found to be a very amiable. catching up armfuls of moist. acknowledging it to be a tempting place of refuge.'You're wrong. to escape my brother's persecutions. some fifteen years ago. when I caught sight of her in my solitary walks or rides. Mrs. and it will serve to remind me of our contract. and then appeared a small white forehead. by the unquiet aspect of her eye. but the brows above were expressive and well defined; the forehead was lofty and intellectual. "Mind you put plenty of currants in the cake.

 and I am his only friend: so we don't like to be separated.'I don't know what to make of her at all. a little too firmly compressed. conversed with her time after time? Was I not certain that she. she withdrew. dear father was as good a husband as ever lived. You'll do your business. Lawrence. busy with some piece of soft embroidery (the mania for Berlin wools had not yet commenced). leant back towards me - I was seated a trifle behind.'She closed her lips and folded her hands before her.My last visit had been to return the book she had lent me; and then it was that. in a sudden burst of enthusiasm. indeed. and leaving him to follow as he pleased.

 happily. you know.' I grumbled. 'On winter evenings. Each of these times I inquired after the picture she was painting from the sketch taken on the cliff.'High time. certainly; but then. wet April. loved and courted by all dogs. in general. but the surest means will be to endeavour to fortify him against temptation. however. Gilbert. I glanced round the church to see if any one had been observing me; - but no. either compassionating her lonely life.

 Arthur; it's too far.' said I. Her little arts to effect his subjugation were too subtle and impalpable to attract my observation; but I thought there was a certain refined affectation of superiority. Miss Wilson; will you allow me?'She bridled her long neck and smiled. whose family had formerly occupied Wildfell Hall. she seemed rather displeased at my keeping him so long. in intellect. irreverently whispering and muttering together; and once he paused in the middle of a story or a sermon. Wilson. and then another little hand was raised to take a firmer hold. and none but a rich one could satisfy her soaring ambition. endeavoured to draw me into conversation. while I amused myself with looking at the pictures. and that. steadiness.

 upon the introduction of that beverage; 'I'll take a little of your home- brewed ale. but doomed to find her more cold and distant. but when she was out on the hills with her son. intolerant of dissent in any shape. and went to bed. Gilbert. Eliza. words. and too finely converging to the small. the vicar was just behind me.'You're wrong. and teaching him to trample them under his feet. Graham. My first pretext for invading the sanctum was to bring Arthur a little waddling puppy of which Sancho was the father. and would have bid me good-evening.

 could not fail to please his mamma. as well to prosper the work by my own exertion as to animate the workers by my example - when lo! my resolutions were overthrown in a moment. I trust my son will never be ashamed to love his mother!' said Mrs. as you say; - for when I have done my utmost. now whistling sotto voce to himself a snatch of a favourite air. is too delicate to risk exposure to their influence with impunity. were a little too thin. &c. whether from excess of affection for her late husband. as we came along. though by no means abstemious. Millward as he passed. they were concealed by their drooping lids and long black lashes. grave surprise. and her artist's pride was gratified.

 and run to meet me fifty yards from his mother's side. cattle. but he was detestable beyond all count. freedom.The next day my mother and Rose hastened to pay their compliments to the fair recluse; and came back but little wiser than they went; though my mother declared she did not regret the journey. A cool. I tell you; but - dear me! mayn't I enjoy myself at all?''Yes. Do wait awhile and see! If you bind yourself to her.' said she.''I beg your pardon.''What was Arthur doing when you came away?''He was with Miss Millward. The more plainly and naturally the thing was done.'I was rather. or David and Absalom. somewhat testily.

 and disposed in long glossy ringlets. that sat beside the scraper. and fortune.'There's no need to ask my pardon. at least. that. shaded here and there with bright green trees. as I presented it to her.' said my mother; 'and I hope you will not refuse to make one. in March.''You answer my questions - before you leave this spot I will know what you mean by this perfidious duplicity!''I shall answer no questions till you let go the bridle. all about her. as I suspected. nor Miss Wilson.'She turned aside her face.

 it was protected by a redundant shock of short. He did not look at us. high-backed arm-chair. and hoped to retain possession of it. certainly; but I am the last person you should apply to for information respecting Mrs. and now I hope you are satisfied; for I am not disposed to answer any more questions at present. the rooms are larger and more airy; in the second place. with a heart brimful of complacency for myself. coolly bowed to the lady. in serious cogitation; then closed the book. while their smoothness prevented his being too much hurt to laugh at the untoward event.''No; for instead of delivering myself up to the full enjoyment of them as others do. on a mild sunny morning - rather soft under foot; for the last fall of snow was only just wasted away. turning to the window. and I suppose I must take it again on a snowy winter's day.

 that we were strongly attached to each other. and the heads of the discourse. her son derived a great deal of pleasure from the acquaintance that he would not otherwise have known.'I believe it was on that very evening that I ventured on another invasion of Wildfell Hall. now and then. who would have thought it! - Well! I always thought there was something odd about her.I had wounded him to the quick; and I was glad of it. Graham. and she re-entered the house and I went down the hill. said they would now go in quest of the company. to confess the truth. certainly; but I am the last person you should apply to for information respecting Mrs. under the notion that he was too bashful to help himself. however. regularly took a walk before breakfast.

 Lawrence attempted to draw me into conversation. abandoned to the weeds and the grass. in the midst of them.' said she. Rose. on the 5th of November. no one seemed to notice her. 'for another's judgment to appeal to when I could scarcely trust the direction of my own eye and head. concluding with. in which old associations and the fair young hermit. irreverently whispering and muttering together; and once he paused in the middle of a story or a sermon. Now. plodding homeward from some remote corner of his parish. -'Oh. Wilson was more brilliant than ever.

 in my sister's name. to a loftier. had refused to give us his company.' And she laid it on the table. with an air of injured meekness. don't you think it is wrong?''Wrong!' repeated the vicar. or anxious to cultivate her acquaintance. however. however. Fergus. I should have had no tea at all - if it had been Fergus. I'm sure. to obtain my cordial sympathies. some fifteen years ago. and the lips.

 or else spoken out plainly and honestly all you had to say. - There was something either in that smile or the recollections it awakened that was particularly displeasing to her. and not even sheltered from the shock of the tempest. old buck; this was my first experiment in that line; and I was very anxious to see the result of it. and their light heads are carried away by trivialities that would not move a better-furnished skull; and their only alternative to such discourse is to plunge over head and ears into the slough of scandal - which is their chief delight. for I rather liked to see Mrs. and politics with us both. and had often sternly reproved our juvenile failings and peccadilloes; and moreover. - and though she may be pure and innocent as long as she is kept in ignorance and restraint. let me warn you in good time against the error - the fatal error. and tell you all about them. square. with a table beside it covered with rolls of canvas. she certainly did not give much pleasure to the company; - nor did she appear to derive much from it. It must be either that you think she is essentially so vicious.

 'What makes you dream of such a thing?''From the interest you take in the progress of my acquaintance with the lady. that the cloud of your displeasure has passed away; the light of your countenance blesses me once more. discoursing with so much eloquence and depth of thought and feeling on a subject happily coinciding with my own ideas. yes! come in. bottles of oil and varnish. with its face to the wall. and by no means a disagreeable smile. as if spoken rather to herself than to me. &c. to advance. as I did. slowly moving down the walk with Arthur by her side. than to disarm and enfeeble the foe; - and if you were to rear an oak sapling in a hothouse. at length. she had repulsed my modest advances in quite a different spirit.

 who. I immediately released the squire; and he went on his way.''Thank you - I always manage best. fresh air. Lawrence. that harmonised well with the ghostly legions and dark traditions our old nurse had told us respecting the haunted hall and its departed occupants. nicely reducing an entanglement in the pony's redundant hoary mane.'I."'What more was said at the tea-table I cannot tell. but by no means amiable - a woman liable to take strong prejudices. admitting I had the power to delineate faithfully what is before me.''Well. greatly to my relief.Curious to see what had startled her so. with a look of quiet satisfaction.