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road to the Manor-house. 'That can I,' said she; 'and what's more, there's my daughter Jane that lives at the Manor-house; she can tell you all about it.' Jane knew who he was at the first sight. He spoke very civil like; and then Jane's mother asked him to sit down under the tree, and have some of her nice bottled beer, which Jane says he seemed to relish, for it was very hot. So, after having taken the beer, and rested a bit, he began to talk. He asked Jane if you were not a great heiress, and sure enough she said you was." Here Mrs. Mitten gave a chuckling laugh, which irritated Helen almost beyond endurance. Yes, she said you was; and you must mind and keep it up, for there's no knowing what may be the end of it. Then he went on to ask all kind of questions about master and about missis, and he said she was one o' the handsomest old ladies he'd ever seen. I don't know whether or not this would altogether ha' pleased missis; she'd have been glad enough o' the handsome, but as to the old, she'd have been glad to let that alone. However, this is neither here nor there. So then he went on to say that he was going to call at the Manor-house, and he asked Jane all about times and so forth. Then he said he shouldn't call that day, and he didn't; but all this morning I've been expecting to hear the hall-bell ring, and I've been waiting to catch you, to tell you all about it."

"Thank you, Mrs. Mitten," said Helen, with a cold civility that was very provoking.

"And is that all?" said Mrs. Mitten; "why you don't mean to say you're not as pleased as Punch, for all you're so sly about it! Why, don't I know? Don't you think Jane's told me how you went on together at Scarborough ?" "Went on!" repeated Helen; "really, Mrs. Mitten, I will thank you to speak-"

"Pooh! pooh!" interrupted Mrs. Mitten, getting provoked in her turn; "do you think that Jane didn't tell me how he was always hanging on, here and there and

everywhere, and how he went on pretending to pay his court to the old lady, while all the time he was thinking o' the young one? Don't tell me; I know, and it's no use flustering yourself up in that way."

Helen could endure no more; it was all she could do to command herself to say "good evening" civilly. She retreated to her own room, her heart swelling with proud indignation.

"I cannot bear this! I can bear it no longer!" she said, and, throwing herself on the bed, she let her tears of mortified pride have full course.

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CHAPTER XXIII.

THE next morning, at an hour unusually early for callers, there was a loud ringing of the hall-bell. Helen's heart beat a little faster, and Mrs. Kingley, rousing herself from a reclining position, went to the glass to arrange her curls.

"It is the Ellisons, I suppose," said she; "but I did not hear the sound of carriage-wheels; very strange, indeed, if Mark should come without the rest of the party; but they please themselves, and they please me."

Mr. Gosport was announced.

"Mr. Gosport!" exclaimed Mrs. Kingley, rising to meet him, and extending both hands in exclamatory welcome; "this, this is indeed what may be called 'the agreeable surprise!'" and she laughed facetiously.

Mr. Gosport took one of the extended hands, over which he bowed deferentially.

"And Miss Helen," continued Mrs. Kingley, looking towards her with a bland smile, "Miss Helen, I am sure, will be glad to welcome you."

Helen was embarrassed; she had never spoken of Mr. Gosport since they left Scarborough, and it was extremely offensive to her to have the gladness of her welcome thus guaranteed.

"Helen, my dear, I must trouble you-just touch the bell, if you please. Oh! thank you, Mr. Gosport. Mr. Kingley, I am sure, will be most happy to have the opportunity of welcoming you. Pray be seated. Tell your master," continued Mrs. Kingley to the servant who had answered the bell, "that a gentleman is here that he will be very glad to see; tell him he is Mr. Gosport." She spoke emphatically, and addressed the words rather to Mr. Gosport than the servant; but the servant bowed, and withdrew. In a few minutes Mr. Kingley appeared.

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'Indeed, sir," he said, with a condescending bow, “it gives me pleasure to have this opportunity of expressing my thanks for the assistance tendered to my dear wife, Mrs. Kingley, at the time of what might have been a very serious accident, and also for the continuation of your respectful attentions during the remainder of her sojourn at Scarborough."

This speech was received with due acknowledgment ; and, after some trivial conversation, and Mr. Gosport had accepted an invitation to take dinner, the Justice, always glad to display his magisterial power, proposed an adjournment to the court-house.

Mr. Gosport had a quick insight into the character of the good Justice, and he so well adapted his remarks, dwelling with such tact on those points on which he perceived him to be the most tenacious, and his prejudices the strongest, that he succeeded in establishing for himself a very high reputation as a man of superior sense and sound judgment. Mr. Kingley was in high good humour, and Mr. Gosport was in a humour to be pleased with everything; he laughed heartily at all the old stories, and he handled the King of Prussia's snuff-box with deferential respect.

"Upon my word," said Mrs. Kingley, as they were sitting at breakfast the following morning, "upon my word, Mr. Gosport is a very agreeable man, a very agreeable man indeed," and she smiled complacently at the recollection of some of his extravagant compliments. "What say

you, Miss Helen ?" turning towards her with a significant smile, intended to express much meaning. Helen, though greatly annoyed, "thought he had been very agreeable."

"Yes," said the Justice, "he will be a great acquisition, for he purposes to remain some time in the neighbourhood. He took great interest—indeed, I may say very great interest-in what was going on at the court-house yesterday, and no doubt he will visit it often. I have given him carte blanche to the dinner-table at the Manor-house; and, my dear, I think I may be sure that such an arrangement will not be disagreeable to you." And he looked at his lady with the kindly expression of having done something to give her pleasure.

"Not disagreeable in the least-far from it; very pleasant it will be very pleasant. What say you, Miss Helen?" And again Mrs. Kingley looked at her significantly, and Helen repeated that "it would be very pleasant."

Indeed, any change that tended to vary the monotony of her every-day life would have been pleasant, for it was a very dull one, and heavy was the tax she paid for the splendid misery of her position. Mrs. Kingley had become so exacting, as to be jealous of every instant not devoted exclusively to herself. Such exaction was enough to eradicate all the ideas she did possess, and to exclude the possibility of gaining new ones. Had it been her corporeal presence alone that Mrs. Kingley required, the tax would have been comparatively light, but the captivity extended to her mind, and without possibility of escape from the fetters imposed.

The renewal of intercourse with Mr. Gosport brought

Mrs. Kingley's thoughts more into the immediate present; it was an object for discussion to decide what dress and what turban she should wear on the days when he came to the Manor-house, and his flow of perpetual compliment kept her in a high state of self-satisfaction-she almost fancied herself young again! Helen thought that he would be going too far; but Mr. Gosport knew his ground, and that no strain of compliment could go too far for the delighted Justice, whose little grey eyes twinkled with delight, and exultingly expressed, "Yes, and she is mine-my wife!"

Mr. Gosport did know his ground, and he knew how to make himself agreeable to Mr. Kingley in other ways than by complimenting his wife. He had always the right thing to say, and he said it always at the right time and in the right way; in short, he had so well succeeded in his endeavours to please, that the days when he did not come to the Manorhouse were now considered blanks. The Justice liked to talk, and he liked to have a listener, and most especially a listener who did not oppose his opinions on those subjects on which he was apt to be a little prejudiced.

Mr. Gosport did not often address Helen, though she could not but know that she was the object of his watchful attention; he listened with marked respect to her most trifling observation, and was ever in readiness to offer his services. Helen saw that he often glanced at her to discover the effect of what he had been saying. She saw, too, that he had made several attempts to establish a telegraphic communication as to what was said by Mrs. Kingley and the Justice. Then Helen would look very grave, though a blush, or some involuntary movement that she was unable to control, betrayed her consciousness.

He sought opportunities to find her alone; and one day, when she had effected her usual escape after dinner, he followed her. The evening was sultry, and, instead of seeking the wonted refuge of her own room, she had turned into the