nd
Maria lost in admiration. His tones were musical as his figure was
unsightly, and his knowledge universal as his person was diminutive. He
discoursed with a poet's tongue on the beauty of the surrounding
scenery; he defined the botany and geology of the mountains. He traced
effect to cause, and both to their Creator. The party marvelled while
the deformed spoke; and he repelled the scowl and contempt of his rival
with sarcasm that scathed like passing lightning. These things produced
feelings of jealousy also in the breast of Francis Dorrington; though
from Maria Bradbury he had never received one smile of encouragement. On
their taking leave, the entertainer of the party invited Ebenezer to his
house, but the latter refused; he feared to mingle with society, for oft
as he had associated with man, he had been rendered their sport--the
thing they persecuted--the butt of their irony.

For many days the cripple met, or rather sought, Maria in his solitary
rambles; for she, too, loved the solitude of the mountains or the
silence of the woods, which is broken only by the plaintive note of the
wood-pigeon, the _chirm_ of the linnet, the song of the thrush, the
twitter of the chaffinch, or the distant stroke of the woodman, lending
silence a charm. She had become familiar with his deformity, and as it
grew less singular to her eyes, his voice became sweeter to her ears.
Their conversation turned on many things--there was wisdom in his words,
and she listened to him as a pupil to a preceptor. His feelings deepened
with their interviews, his hopes brightened, and felicity seemed dawning
before him. As hope kindled, he acquired confidence. They were walking
together, he had pointed out the beauties and explained the properties
of the wild-flowers on their path, he had dwelt on the virtues of the
humblest weed, when he stopped short, and gazing in her face--"Maria!"
he added, "I have loved these flowers--I have cherished those simple
weeds, because they shunned me not--they shrank not from me, as did the
creatures of the human race--they spread their beauties before me--they
denied me not their sweetness. You only have I met with among the
children of Adam, who persecuted me not with ridicule, or who insulted
not my deformity with the vulgar gaze of curiosity. Who I am I know
not--from whence I was brought amongst these hills I cannot tell; I am a
thing which the world has laughed at, and of which my parents were
ashamed. But m