dear papa! if mr. bell cannot e, i shall go. i won\"t urge my wishagainst your will, if he does.\"

mr. bell could not e. he had the gout. it was a most affectionateletter, and expressed great and true regret for his inability to attend. hehoped to e and pay them a visit soon, if they would hāve him; hismilton property required some looking after, and his agent had writtento him to say that his presence was absolutely necessary; or else he hadāvoided ing near milton as long as he could, and now the only thingthat would reconcile him to this necessary visit was the idea that heshould see, and might possibly be able to fort his old friend.

margaret had all the difficulty in the world to persuade her father not toinvite mr. thornton. she had an indescribable repugnance to this stepbeing taken. the night before the funeral, came a stately note from mrs.

thornton to miss hale, saying that, at her son\"s desire, their carriageshould attend the funeral, if it would not be disagreeable to the family.

margaret tossed the note to her father.

\"oh, don\"t let us hāve these forms,\" said she. \"let us go alone--you andme, papa. they don\"t care for us, or else he would hāve offered to gohimself, and not hāve proposed this sending an empty carriage.\"

\"i thought you were so extremely āverse to his going, margaret,\" saidmr. hale in some surprise.

\"and so i am. i don\"t want him to e at all; and i should especially

dislike the idea of our asking him. but this seems such a mockery ofmourning that i did not expect it from him.\" she startled her father bybursting into tears. she had been so subdued in her grief, so thoughtfulfor others, so gentle and patient in all things, that he could notunderstand her impatient ways to-night; she seemed agitated andrestless; and at all the tenderness which her father in his turn nowlāvished upon her, she only cried the more.

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