if these words hurt her son, the dusky light prevented him frombetraying any emotion. in a minute he came up quite cheerfully to hismother, and putting one hand lightly on her shoulder, said:

\"well, as i\"m just as much convinced of the truth of what you hāve beensaying as you can be; and as i hāve no thought or expectation of everasking her to be my wife, you\"ll believe me for the future that i\"m quitedisinterested in speaking about her. i foresee trouble for that girl-perhapswant of motherly care--and i only wish you to be ready to be afriend to her, in case she needs one. now, fanny,\" said he, \"i trust youhāve delicacy enough to understand, that it is as great an injury to misshale as to me--in fact, she would think it a greater--to suppose that ihāve any reason, more than i now give, for begging you and my motherto show her every kindly attention.\"

\"i cannot forgive her her pride,\" said his mother; \"i will befriend her, ifthere is need, for your asking, john. i would befriend jezebel herself ifyou asked me. but this girl, who turns up her nose at us all--who turnsup her nose at you----\"

\"nay, mother; i hāve never yet put myself, and i mean never to putmyself, within reach of her contempt.\"

\"contempt, indeed!\"--(one of mrs. thornton\"s expressive snorts.)--\"don\"tgo on speaking of miss hale, john, if i\"ve to be kind to her. when i\"mwith her, i don\"t know if i like or dislike her most; but when i think ofher, and hear you talk of her, i hate her. i can see she\"s given herself airsto you as well as if you\"d told me out.\"

\"and if she has,\" said he--and then he paused for a moment--then wenton: \"i\"m not a lad, to be cowed by a proud look from a woman, or to carefor her misunderstanding me and my position. i can laugh at it!\"

\"to be sure! and at her too, with her fine notions and haughty tosses!\"

\"i only wonder why you talk so much about her, then,\" said fanny. \"i\"msure, i\"m tired enough of the subject.\"

\"well!\" said her brother, with a shade of bitterness. \"suppose we findsome more agreeable subject. what do you say to a strike, by way ofsomething pleasant to talk about?\"

\"hāve the hands actually turned out?\" asked mrs. thornton, with vividinterest.

\"hamper\"s men are actually out. mine are working out their week,through fear of being prosecuted for breach of contract i\"d hāve hadevery one of them up and punished for it, that left his work before histime was out.\"

\"the law expenses would hāve been more than the hands them selveswere worth--a set of ungrateful naughts!\" said his mother.

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