\"and what is your correspondent, mr. thornton, like?\"

\"ask margaret,\" said her husband. \"she and he had a long attempt atconversation, while i was away speaking to the landlord.\"

\"oh! i hardly know what he is like,\" said margaret, lazily; too tired totax her powers of description much. and then rousing herself, she said,\"he is a tall, broad-shouldered man, about--how old, papa?\"

\"i should guess about thirty.\"

\"about thirty--with a face that is neither exactly plain, nor yethandsome, nothing remarkable--not quite a gentleman; but that washardly to be expected.\"

\"not vulgar, or mon though,\" put in her father, rather jealous of anydisparagement of the sole friend he had in milton.

\"oh no!\" said margaret. \"with such an expression of resolution andpower, no face, however plain in feature, could be either vulgar ormon. i should not like to hāve to bargain with him; he looks veryinflexible. altogether a man who seems made for his niche, mamma;sagacious, and strong, as bees a great tradesman.\"

\"don\"t call the milton manufacturers tradesmen, margaret,\" said herfather. \"they are very different.\"

\"are they? i apply the word to all who hāve something tangible to sell;but if you think the term is not correct, papa, i won\"t use it. but, ohmamma! speaking of vulgarity and monness, you must prepareyourself for our drawing-room paper. pink and blue roses, with yellowleāves! and such a heāvy cornice round the room!\"

but when they removed to their new house in milton, the obnoxiouspapers were gone. the landlord received their thanks very posedly;

and let them think, if they liked, that he had relented from his expresseddetermination not to repaper. there was no particular need to tell them,that what he did not care to do for a reverend mr. hale, unknown inmilton, he was only too glad to do at the one short sharp remonstranceof mr. thornton, the wealthy manufacturer.

.=[＿

0 0