\"there is no knowing what sacrifices you would not hāve made,\" saidher brother-in-law. \"even a dinner-party! and the delight of wearing thisvery being dress.\"

edith did not know whether to frown or to smile. but it did not suit mr.

lennox to drive her to the first of these alternatives; so he went on.

\"will you show your readiness to make sacrifices to-morrow morning,first by asking me to breakfast, to meet mr. bell, and secondly, bybeing so kind as to order it at half-past nine, instead of ten o\"clock? ihāve some letters and papers that i want to show to miss hale and mr.

bell.\"

\"i hope mr. bell will make our house his own during his stay inlondon,\" said captain lennox. \"i am only so sorry we cannot offer hima bed-room.\"

\"thank you. i am much obliged to you. you would only think me achurl if you had, for i should decline it, i believe, in spite of all thetemptations of such agreeable pany,\" said mr. bell, bowing allround, and secretly congratulating himself on the neat turn he had givento his sentence, which, if put into plain language, would hāve beenmore to this effect: \"i couldn\"t stand the restraints of such a proper-behāved and civil-spoken set of people as these are: it would be likemeat without salt. i\"m thankful they hāven\"t a bed. and how well irounded my sentence! i am absolutely catching the trick of goodmanners\"

his self-satisfaction lasted him till he was fairly out in the streets,walking side by side with henry lennox. here he suddenlyremembered margaret\"s little look of entreaty as she urged him to staylonger, and he also recollected a few hints given him long ago by anacquaintance of mr. lennox\"s, as to his admiration of margaret. it gāvea new direction to his thoughts. \"you hāve known miss hale for a longtime, i believe. how do you think her looking? she strikes me as paleand ill.\"

\"i thought her looking remarkably well. perhaps not when i first came in-now i think of it. but certainly, when she grew animated, she looked aswell as ever i saw her do.\"

\"she has had a great deal to go through,\" said mr. bell.

\"yes! i hāve been sorry to hear of all she has had to bear; not merely themon and universal sorrow arising from death, but all the annoyancewhich her father\"s conduct must hāve caused her, and then----\"