CHAPTER X.

This only grant me, that my means may lie
Too low for envy, for contempt too high;
Some honour I would have

Not for great deeds, but good alone;

Th' unknown are better than ill-known,

Rumour can ope the grave;

Acquaintance I would have, but when depends
Not on the number, but the choice of friends.

Books should, not business, entertain the light,
And sleep, as undisturbed as death, the night.

My house, a cottage more

Than palace, and should fitting be

For all my use, no luxury.

Thus would I double my life's fading space,

For he that runs it well, runs twice his race.

COWLEY.

THE happy time arrived when Eleanor

might start for the railway station without being much too soon for the train that was to bring the looked-for travellers; and Miss Clairvaux watched her departure from the window, and remembered her own young heart.

In about three quarters of an hour, the sound of cheerful, intermingled voices drew her to the window again, and she saw some one almost as light and as active as Eleanor herself, and in widow's mourning, walking with Eleanor, accompanied by a well-grown, goodlooking young man. Mrs. Graydon had an intelligent, pleasant countenance, and in manner was self-possessed. Whether she had, or had not lived much in society, she betrayed no ignorance of its rules. Of George, there was by no means the same well-grounded security of his never doing or saying anything but just the thing he ought; in a word, he was a young medical student, who, in his own phrase would have told that he had very

you,

little tin, but lots of brass. His manners hardly did him justice, but they covered an excellent disposition and good abilities; and Miss Clairvaux felt she could like him. He was in very lively spirits, but became surprisingly sedate when Eleanor took her mother to her room, and he found himself left with Miss Clairvaux. As she took real interest in his prospects, she spoke to him on things about which he could talk readily enough; and began by saying she supposed his patient had obliged him by getting well.

"Oh yes, ma'am, I was obliged to show him he had better do so."

"How did you manage that ?"

"Well, you see he was an author; and authors are such ticklish customers. He said he felt as if some one was at work with a gimlet at the back of his head, a little above the nape of his neck; but I made him admit nobody in the body was doing it, and put it to him whether any one out of the body

would think it worth his while. This he was

disinclined to answer. I then assured him, that there was nothing evil spirits objected to so much as clean water, and got him to hold his head under a tap while I let the water run upon it. This quite exorcised the gimlet, but he was afraid it would come back again. I said he had only to apply the same remedy. He said he would, but then with a deep sigh, said he was afraid it was on his mind. I said, 'have a mind, then, to throw it off. If you can't, why, never mind it.' But no, he couldn't be trifled with. I said, 'I suppose you're like the American gentleman-a pyramid of mind on a dark desert of despair.' He laughed a little, and said, ' after all, it's no use fretting, only it does rile a fellow a little to have the fruits of his labour and genius set at nought by all the world through the critique of a carping caviller!' Ah, my dear fellow,' said I, if that's where the shoe pinches, cheer up.

Half the world

won't read the critique, depend upon it, and the other half will never so much as hear of your book!' He abused me, called me all manner of names, but I got him to laugh, and-'pon my honour, maʼam, it cured him!"

"No doubt," said Miss Clairvaux, laughing. "Your prescription of clean water was excellent."

Holy water, ma'am, it might well be called."

It was a pleasant evening to them all, rendered genial by family happiness.

Next morning, which was Good Friday, George joined the breakfast-party, fresh from a walk. He had been some miles over the country, with Fly for his companion, and thought the neighbourhood charming.

It was a cheerful walk to church, for many had gathered their families and friends about them for Easter, and rosy school-boys and blooming girls were clustering about their parents. Mrs. Rowe was almost electrified