a great triumph to see her in love," said Anna. "I did try once to make her say which she liked best, Captain Rutherford or Mr. Johnson, but she only looked vastly dignified, and said she would leave it to me to decide upon their relative perfections."

"Perhaps, after all, the love is on his side, and she has refused him," said Mrs. Marshall, sighing.

Anna Maria looked very wise and held her tongue.

"Well, time will show," added her mother, "and we must have patience."

"Trust me for finding out before long," said the daughter; and in spite of Mrs. Marshall's entreaties that not a word might be said, or a step taken which would betray their suspicions, Anna remained firm to the resolution she had already come to.

When all were assembled for luncheon, Arthur, who was lately returned from school, came in looking very hot and threw himself into a chair quite exhausted.

"Oh!" he said, "I have had such a fight with old aunt Jane - she is in such a humour."

"Have you been to Allerton?" asked Mr. Marshall.

"Yes; I had not seen Mary since I came home, and I found Aunt Jane there, storming about something that had happened at the village-school. If I was your father, I would make you give it up,' she said; 'you are always wasting your time over those little, ungrateful, dirty creatures and this is all the good you do.' I never did see anythink like Mary's patience-she only said, 'I hope not all, my dear aunt; but it is difficult' Difficult! I should think so,' answered Miss Jane; then why don't you give it up?''That would be treating a difficulty as if it was an impossibility,' Mary said. And pray, why should you succeed better than other people?" said the amiable aunt: difficulties stop them." -'I shall try,' said Mary, in her quiet way;

6

Mr. Marshall could not forbear glancing at Edward, who understood his meaning. Arthur went on with boyish glee,

"I was so pleased I clapped my hands at the old lady's discomfiture, and so she turned upon me as a graceless youth-a specimen of the good that schools do, &c."

"And, of course, you behaved as well as Miss Hardy," said his father, smiling.

"Did I though," said Arthur, who had acquired a little roughness during his first school campaign; "do you think I would bear to hear Mary called obstinate and selfwilled, even if I did not mind what was said of myself?"

"So you took up the cudgels, like a gallant squire of dames; and what did you say?"

"Why I said," answered Arthur, blushing violently, "what was quite true, that Mary was the most perfect angel that ever lived, and never could do anything wrong-"

"And that Miss Jane never could do anything right," suggested Mr. Marshall.

"Not quite, father, but something very like it," said Arthur, making a vigorous attack upon the cold beef near him.

CHAPTER X.

Anger is like

A full-hot horse, who being allowed his way

Self-mettle tires him.

SHAKSPEARE.

EDWARD was not to see Mr. Hardy until late in the afternoon, but he felt so unable to take part in general conversation that he soon slipped away to his own room, where he paced up and down in undisguised agitation.

"Oh! that Mary's words might prove a good omen to me," he said to himself, " that I might find in difficulties only something to be overcome. If I had but her gentle firmness!" And again and again he resolved that nothing should daunt him, nothing overcome his patience, nothing resist his unwearying perseverance.