\"you would not hāve approved of fanny\"s being seen out, after dark, inrather a lonely place, walking about with a young man. i say nothing ofthe taste which could choose the time, when her mother lay unburied,for such a promenade. should you hāve liked your sister to hāve beennoticed by a grocer\"s assistant for doing so?\"

\"in the first place, as it is not many years since i myself was a draper\"sassistant, the mere circumstance of a grocer\"s assistant noticing any actdoes not alter the character of the act to me. and in the next place, i seea great deal of difference between miss hale and fanny. i can imaginethat the one may hāve weighty reasons, which may and ought to makeher overlook any seeming impropriety in her conduct. i never knewfanny hāve weighty reasons for anything. other people must guard her.

i believe miss hale is a guardian to herself\"

\"a pretty character of your sister, indeed! really, john, one would hāvethought miss hale had done enough to make you clear-sighted. shedrew you on to an offer, by a bold display of pretended regard for you,-toplay you off against this very young man, i\"ve no doubt. her wholeconduct is clear to me now. you believe he is her lover, i suppose--youagree to that.\"

he turned round to his mother; his face was very gray and grim. \"yes,mother. i do believe he is her lover.\" when he had spoken, he turnedround again; he writhed himself about, like one in bodily pain. he leanthis face against his hand. then before she could speak, he turned sharpagain:

\"mother. he is her lover, whoever he is; but she may need help andwomanly counsel;--there may be difficulties or temptations which i

don\"t know. i fear there are. i don\"t want to know what they are; but asyou hāve ever been a good--ay! and a tender mother to me, go to her,and gain her confidence, and tell her what is best to be done. i knowthat something is wrong; some dread, must be a terrible torture to her.\"

\"for god\"s sake, john!\" said his mother, now really shocked, \"what doyou mean? what do you mean? what do you know?\"

he did not reply to her.

\"john! i don\"t know what i shan\"t think unless you speak. you hāve noright to say what you hāve done against her.\"

\"not against her, mother! i could not speak against her.\"

\"well! you hāve no right to say what you hāve done, unless you saymore. these half-expressions are what ruin a woman\"s character.\"

\"her character! mother, you do not dare--\" he faced about, and lookedinto her face with his flaming eyes. then, drawing himself up intodetermined posure and dignity, he said, \"i will not say any morethan this, which is neither more nor less than the simple truth, and i amsure you believe me,--i hāve good reason to believe, that miss hale isin some strait and difficulty connected with an attachment which, ofitself, from my knowledge of miss hale\"s character, is perfectlyinnocent and right. what my reason is, i refuse to tell. but never let mehear any one say a word against her, implying any more seriousimputation than that she now needs the counsel of some kind and gentlewoman. you promised mrs. hale to be that woman!\"