ance was perfectly natural, but there was an accent of displeasure at his interference, a tone of coolness, for which he had been wholly unprepared. That "thanking him for the interest he seemed to take in her daughter," cut him to the heart. Mr. Russell made use of the first opportunity of speaking which the lady allowed him, with more warmth than on any occasion recorded; he spoke of Hannah's simplicity, of Hannah's inexperience, of Hannah's happiness at stake, with so much energy as to dissolve Mrs. Wellford in tears. But she could not give up Huntley. No: she was so certain that he really was well principled, that his heart was good, that his heart was devoted to Hannah! Hannah, so good, so attractive, so charming! Hannah to lose her first, her only lover,-one who seemed at least, to deserve her, through the misrepresentations of one who had written in idleness or in malice! Mrs. Wellford wondered to herself, with a little bitterness, how it was that Mr. Russell had kept this marvellous interest in Hannah's welfare so quietly asleep till Hannah had nearly reached the age of twentythree!

In short, the interview was unsatisfactory. One

would not, and one could not, be convinced; and yet, though Mrs. Wellford declared she laid not the smallest stress on Mr. Frank Russell's communications, they had had the effect of making her very unhappy; and she renewed her request that Mr. Russell would write again to his cousin. He promised that he would, and quitted the White Cottage more surprised and disappointed at Mrs. Wellford's conduct than, an hour before, he could have believed possible. "She is wilfully, childishly blind!" thought he, " blind to her daughter's best interests. And all for the sake of seeing a daughter married! The only thing mothers care for, from first to last!" If ever Mr. Russell was in an ill humour, it was on this blessed day.

CHAPTER XII.

CROSS PURPOSES.

MRS. Wellford brooded over all that had passed, and alternately trembled for Hannah's happiness, found excuses for Huntley, and fretted at Mr. Russell's doubts and prophecies, till at length, an idea darted into her head, which atoned for all the vicar's brusquerie, accounted for his warmth, and elucidated much which had hitherto been mysterious. He must certainly be himself attached to Hannah; and downright jealousy had occasioned all this curious investigation of Huntley's early history. Though this by no means cleared Huntley of the errors laid to his charge, and left Mrs. Wellford as anxious and doubtful as ever, whether he were worthy of Hannah, she could not help feeling a glow of pride at the idea of her daughter's conquest of such a man as the vicar. In the afternoon, when Rosina observed

"how very oddly Mr. Russell had behaved in the morning, and indeed, how strange and unaccountable he had been for some time," Mrs. Wellford smiled with great significance, and remarked that his conduct really was unaccountable, unless he were in love. And on Rosina's exclaiming,

Surely, that would be too ridiculous!" her mother replied with the oracular observation that "Stranger things had happened." Rosina coloured, and kept her surprise to herself. Somehow it never occurred to her that Hannah could have two admirers.

Within a day or two, Mr. Russell happened to have business at Heeley, and on returning through the town, he saw the Miss Wellfords in the principal shop, parcel haberdasher's, parcel chemist's, parcel librarian's. He went in, and found Hannah buying gloves, and Huntley and Rosina amusing themselves with examining the contents of the bookshelves, which contained three sets of travels, and twenty novels. Huntley was diverting himself with culling the choice passages scored in pencil or with thumb-nails, by milliners' apprentices, and marked by such encomiums as "Excellent!-how affecting!-how true to nature," &c.

Rosina was deep in one of the Scotch novels, which she declared she must take home "to amuse mamma;” and, to gratify her filial piety, Mr. Russell dropped two volumes into one pocket and a third into the other. Thus ballasted, he drew her arm within his, observing that it was now her duty to beguile the weariness of his journey homeward. Huntley told her that she had selected the least worthy of Sir Walter's works, but added that his worst was better than most men's best, and that for his own part, he loved even his faults. Mr. Russell observed that this was letting partiality have too much influence over judgment.

"And would you always have partiality kept within the bounds of judgment?"

66

Yes, always. I would love what was good and blame what was bad in any book, any thing, or any person."

"Then, if the good preponderates over the bad in either the thing or the person, I think you are cruelly strict; because no one is perfect."

66 But that is no reason why faults are not to be corrected."