l not try it upon me, Mr Rowland."

"Well, then, Mrs Rowland, I am going to be as serious as ever I was in
my life, when I warn you how you breathe such a suspicion as that the
Hopes are not happy. Remember you have no evidence whatever about the
matter. When you offered Mr Hope your congratulations, he was feeble
from illness, and probably too much exhausted at the moment to show any
feeling, one way or another. And as for this crying fit of Mrs Hope's,
no one is better able than you, my dear, to tell how many causes there
may be for ladies' tears besides being unhappily married."

"Pray, Mr Rowland, make yourself easy, I beg. Whom do you suppose I
should mention such a thing to?"

"You have already mentioned it to yourself and me, my dear, which is
just two persons too many. Not a word more on the subject, if you
please."

Mrs Rowland saw that this was one of her husband's authority days;--
rare days, when she could not have her own way, and her quiet husband
was really formidable. She buckled on her armour, therefore, forthwith.
That armour was--silence. Mr Rowland was sufficiently aware of the
process now to be gone through, to avoid speaking, when he knew he
should obtain no reply. He finished his newspaper without further
remark, looked out a book from the shelves, half-whistling all the
while, and left the room.

Meantime, the children had gone to the schoolroom, disturbing Miss Young
nearly an hour too soon. Miss Young told them she was not at liberty;
and when she heard that their mamma had sent them away from the
drawing-room, she asked why they could not play as usual. It was so
cold! How did George manage to play? George had not come in with the
rest. If he could play, so could they. The little girls had no doubt
George would present himself soon: they did not know where he had run;
but he would soon have enough of the cold abroad, or of the dullness of
the nursery. In another moment Miss Young was informed of the fact of
Hester's tears of yesterday; and, much as she wanted the time she was
deprived of; she was glad the children had come to her, that this piece
of gossip might be stopped. She went somewhat at length with them into
the subject of tears, showing that it is very hasty to conclude that any
one has been doing wrong, even in the case of a child's weeping; and
much more with regard to grown people. When they had arrived at
wondering whether some poor person had been begging of