ke Peggy," said Harriett, incredulously.

"One's mother and sisters are always looked on as exceptional
people--placed like saints in a consecrated shrine," said Brandon; "but
here was a woman with no particularly careful training or education,
battling with the world alone and unprotected, and doing always the
right thing at the right time, and in the right way--and truly she has
her reward. Those orphan children will rise up and call her blessed,
and if she has no husband to do it, her own works will praise her in
the gates."

"I did not think that you knew as much of your Bible as to be able to
make so long a quotation," said Miss Phillips, who could not understand
or sympathize with Brandon's enthusiasm; but Elsie fully appreciated
this generous and well-deserved tribute to Peggy's character. She saw
now that she had been too rash in her rejection of her only lover. It
was only now that she had lost him for ever that she had discovered the
real goodness of his character; but she was pleased, very much pleased
to find out that Peggy's conduct had been understood and admired by Mr.
Brandon, and had done him such excellent service. To think him worthy
was delightful, even though she should never see anything more of him
henceforward. The colour rose to her cheek and the lustre to her eye,
and when Brandon's glance met her bright face, he could not help
confessing that she was very pretty, let the Phillipses say what they
pleased, and the idea of having a little conversation with her in the
evening was much more agreeable to him than Harriett would have at all
approved of.

Chapter VIII.

Francis Makes A Favourable Impression On Harriett Phillips

With all Harriett Phillips's success in society she had never had much
admiration from the other sex. This she did not attribute so much to
anything as to her own superiority; it really wanted a great deal of
courage for an average mortal to propose to her. Her unconscious
egotism had something rather grand in it; it was rarely obtrusive, but
it was always there. Her mind was naturally a vigorous one, but it had
moved in a narrow channel, and whatever was out of her own groove, she
ignored. She appreciated whatever Jane Melville knew that she was
herself acquainted with, but whatever she--Harriett Phillips--was
ignorant of, must be valueless. Now a comfortable opinion of oneself is
not at all a disagreeable thing for the possessor, and kept within due
bounds it i