\"is miss hale so remarkable for truth?\" said mr. thornton, bitterly. themoment he had done so, he could hāve bitten his tongue out. what washe? and why should he stab her with her shame in this way? how evilhe was to-night; possessed by ill-humour at being detained so long fromher; irritated by the mention of some name, because he thought itbelonged to a more successful lover; now ill-tempered because he hadbeen unable to cope, with a light heart, against one who was trying, bygay and careless speeches, to make the evening pass pleasantly away,-thekind old friend to all parties, whose manner by this time might bewell known to mr. thornton, who had been acquainted with him for

many years. and then to speak to margaret as he had done! she did notget up and leāve the room, as she had done in former days, when hisabruptness or his temper had annoyed her. she sat quite still, after thefirst momentary glance of grieved surprise, that made her eyes look likesome child\"s who has met with an unexpected rebuff; they slowlydilated into mournful, reproachful sadness; and then they fell, and shebent over her work, and did not speak again. but he could not helplooking at her, and he saw a sigh tremble over her body, as if shequivered in some unwonted chill. he felt as the mother would hāvedone, in the midst of \"her rocking it, and rating it,\" had she been calledaway before her slow confiding smile, implying perfect trust in mother\"slove, had proved the renewing of its love. he gāve short sharp answers;he was uneasy and cross, unable to discern between jest and earnest;anxious only for a look, a word of hers, before which to prostratehimself in penitent humility. but she neither looked nor spoke. herround taper fingers flew in and out of her sewing, as steadily andswiftly as if that were the business of her life. she could not care forhim, he thought, or else the passionate fervour of his wish would hāveforced her to raise those eyes, if but for an instant, to read the laterepentance in his. he could hāve struck her before he left, in order thatby some strange overt act of rudeness, he might earn the privilege oftelling her the remorse that gnawed at his heart. it was well that the longwalk in the open air wound up this evening for him. it sobered him backinto grāve resolution, that henceforth he would see as little of her aspossible,--since the very sight of that face arid form, the very sounds ofthat voice (like the soft winds of pure melody) had such power to movehim from his balance. well! he had known what love was--a sharppang, a fierce experience, in the midst of whose flames he wasstruggling! but, through that furnace he would fight his way out into theserenity of middle age,--all the richer and more human for hāvingknown this great passion.

when he had somewhat abruptly left the room, margaret rose from herseat, and began silently to fold up her work; the long seams wereheāvy, and had an unusual weight for her languid arms. the round linesin her face took a lengthened, straighter form, and her whole appearancewas that of one who had gone through a day of great fatigue. as thethree prepared for bed, mr. bell muttered forth a little condemnation ofmr. thornton.

\"i never saw a fellow so spoiled by success. he can\"t bear a word; a jestof any kind. everything seems to touch on the soreness of his highdignity. formerly, he was as simple and noble as the open day; youcould not offend him, because he had no vanity.\"

\"he is not vain now,\" said margaret, turning round from the table, and

speaking with quiet distinctness. \"to-night he has not been like himselfsomething must hāve annoyed him before he came here.\"

mr. bell gāve her one of his sharp glances from above his spectacles.

she stood it quite calmly; but, after she had left the room, he suddenlyasked,-\"

hale! did it ever strike you that thornton and your daughter hāve whatthe french call a tendresse for each other?\"

\"never!\" said mr. hale, first startled and then flurried by the new idea.

\"no, i am sure you are wrong. i am almost certain you are mistaken. ifthere is anything, it is all on mr. thornton\"s side. poor fellow! i hopeand trust he is not thinking of her, for i am sure she would not hāvehim.\"

\"well! i\"m a bachelor, and hāve steered clear of love affairs all my life;so perhaps my opinion is not worth hāving. or else i should say therewere very pretty symptoms about her!\"