those beautiful eyes have made, or anticipating the triumphs that are to come?" Grace turned away with vexation and contempt at this flippancy. "She wont answer me; then I know I am right; was it not so, Mrs. Stevens ?" and he looked at the smiling complacent landlady for an answer. 66 No, indeed, Sir George, you're quite wrong, sir, begging your pardon for telling you so, for Miss Woodford and I was quite upon another sort of an affair, than love matters, I do assure you." "It was dress then. Oh, yes; I have guessed it now," as his eyes glanced at the handsome green silk shawl which Mrs. Stevens was assiduously folding. "Oh, yes," he repeated, "I see now; Miss Woodford was in imagination triumphing in the additional attraction her beauty is to derive from this very pretty attractive shawl, so like herself, neat, handsome, and unassuming." "Ah, you're quite wrong, again, Sir George," simpered Mrs. Stevens, taking the shawl which he had opened, in affected admiration, and again beginning to fold it. "Quite wrong, indeed, sir; and I'm afraid you're a very bad guesser of ladies' thoughts, for I have reason, good reason to know that Miss Grace could not have been thinking of any such thing, because the shawl happens to be mine." "Grace! what a lovely name, and how appropriate!" said Sir George, without appearing to bestow the slightest attention on what Mrs. Stevens had uttered. "Nay, do not look so distressed at my simple observations," he continued, again attempting to take her hand, which Grace again eluded; "I would not for the world offend you," he continued; "but I am a plain-spoken fellow, apt, whether right or wrong, to utter whatever comes into my head, and really I am at this moment more inclined to fall seriously in love, than ever I was in my life. Now, pray do not frown upon me, for I shall be miserable if you leave me in displeasure. Do you plead my cause, Mrs. Stevens, with your fair friend." "Oh! I'm sure, Sir George, if you can't prevail," said Mrs. Stevens, "it isn't very likely I should; but indeed, Miss Woodford, I must say, you are a little too particler, you needn't keep trying to get away in such a hurry, because I'm quite sure Sir George is too much of a gentleman to say anything that's un-proper for you to hear." "But I am really anxious to go up stairs to my mother," said Grace, who was by no means of opinion that Mrs. Stevens was an adequate judge of propriety. "Well then, I will not run the risk of incurring your displeasure, by persisting in detaining you," observed Sir George; "only promise that you will see me at some more favourable opportunity." "I cannot make any engagements, indeed, sir,” returned Grace, with increased vexation. Mr. Stevens, at this moment, made his appearance, and Grace, taking advantage of the baronet's turning to speak to him, slipped past, and ran hastily up to her own room; not a little chagrined at the chance which had thus exposed her to the importunities of one whom she considered as bolder and more presuming than any one she had ever met with. CHAPTER XXII. ""Tis the mind that makes the body rich; SHAKSPEARE. THOUGH determined to meet with firmness all her mother's solicitations, and even to resist her commands when she felt them to be contrary to what her conscience told her was just and right, Grace was by no means prepared to contend with the mode Mrs. Woodford adopted of endeavouring to force her into compliance. At the usual time, she carried the breakfast she had prepared to her mother's bedside, but vain were all her efforts to prevail on her to taste it. "You may take it away," she observed, in a sullen tone; "when I want anything, I shall find means to get it, but I am not going to be dependant on your petty earnings." Grace's heart was almost broken, but vain were all her tears, her prayers, and supplications—her mother was deaf to them; and she sat down to her work, at which she had been employed from the first glimpse of daylight, without having herself broken her fast. It was long past noon before Mrs. Woodford left her bed; and then, without condescending to explain where she was going, and sternly repulsing Grace's offered assistance, she commenced dressing herself. 18. 3 F Grace still continued working, though her tears almost blinded her; but her mother's intentions were soon clear to her, when she saw her putting into her pocket the small box which contained all her own ornaments, as well as those which had been Maria's. "Had not better let Joe go you with you, dear mother?" demanded Grace; "I am sure it is dangerous for you to venture alone." "I do not care anything about it," returned her mother; "he may come or not, just as you choose; but I don't know much use such a poor being can be." Grace, however, felt satisfied that a stout, active, and attentive lad, even though he did not possess all his senses, was likely to prove of considerable service to one so little qualified for walking as her mother; and she therefore persisted in recommending that Joe should go, and took infinite pains in explaining to the poor lad that she expected he would take care of his mistress, and bring her safe home. It was with considerable pain, however, that, even under the protection of her escort, who seemed more intelligent than usual in comprehending what he had to perform, Grace beheld her mother leave the house. She could form no idea whither she intended going, or how long she would be absent; and, in the anxiety occasioned by her absence, all other sources of vexation were for the moment forgotten. Minutes seemed lengthened to hours, and yet Grace could not get on at all with her work. It was almost impossible for her to reach across the parapet, so as to see into the street, or she would certainly have passed the whole time, even from her mother's first |