vely. Before she could resolve, he rose
from his chair, and said, with a force and warmth she had never heard
him use before,

"I command you to stay at home this evening." And he walked immediately
out of the apartment by another door.

Her hand fell motionless from that which she held--she appeared
motionless herself--till Mrs. Horton, "Beseeching her not to be uneasy at
the treatment she had received," made her tears flow as if her heart was
breaking.

Miss Woodley would have said something to comfort her, but she had
caught the infection, and could not utter a word. It was not from any
real cause of grief that she wept; but there was a magnetic quality in
tears, which always attracted her's.

Mrs. Horton secretly enjoyed this scene, though the real well meaning of
her heart, and ease of her conscience, did not suffer her to think so.
She, however, declared she had "long prognosticated it would come to
this;" and she "only thanked heaven it was no worse."

"What could be worse, Madam?" cried Miss Milner; "am not I disappointed
of the ball?"

"You don't mean to go then?" said Mrs. Horton; "I commend your prudence;
and I dare say it is more than your guardian gives you credit for."

"Do you think I would go," answered Miss Milner, with an eagerness that
for a time suppressed her tears, "in contradiction to his will?"

"It is not the first time, I believe, you have acted contrary to that,
Miss Milner," replied Mrs. Horton, and affected a tenderness of voice,
to soften the harshness of her words.

"If you think so, Madam, I see nothing that should prevent me now." And
she flung out of the room as if she had resolved to disobey him. This
alarmed poor Miss Woodley.

"My dear aunt," she cried to Mrs. Horton, "follow and prevail upon Miss
Milner to give up her design; she means to be at the ball in opposition
to her guardian's will."

"Then," said Mrs. Horton, "I'll not be instrumental in detering her--if
she does it may be for the best; it may give Mr. Dorriforth a clearer
knowledge what means are proper to convert her from evil."

"But, my dear Madam, she must be preserved from the evil of
disobedience; and as you tempted, you will be the most likely to
dissuade her. But if you will not, I must endeavour."

Miss Woodley was leaving the room to perform this good work, when Mrs.
Horton, in imitation of the example given her by Dorriforth, cried,

"Niece, I command you not to stir out of this room this evenin