er, along with herself, were in the habit of taking their
morning meal. They were there; and there was another there--it was her
cousin. He looked at her as she entered, with a calm, but mysterious
eye, which fluttered her nerves again, and forced her to stand for a
moment in the middle of the apartment, irresolute whether to go forward
or retreat. She fearfully threw her eye over the faces of her parents.
There was no change there; the ordinary placidity of their wonted
manner, and the kindly love-greeting borne in their mellow voices,
startled her--so strong had been her conviction that all was disclosed.
Her parents were destitute of guile; and an instant's thought satisfied
her that they were still in their ignorance of the secret. But Blacket
House continued his dark gaze in silence; and even this--a decided
alteration in his manner--was unnoticed by the unsuspecting couple, who
threw their fond eyes on their loving daughter as their only remaining
pride and solace. What meant this? The new turn taken by the stream of
her difficulty and danger surprised and confused her; but, calming by
the influence of her parents' kindness, she sat down and went through
the forms of the morning meal, without exhibiting a discomposure that
might attract the notice of these loving beings, who searched her face
only for the indications of health and the beams of her pleasure. Her
comparative composure enabled her to collect her ideas; and she thought
she now discovered a reason for this seeming forbearance or discretion
of Blacket House--a man little formed for these, or any other virtues:
he intended to _sell_ his knowledge at the price of a hand that never
could be his, but by this or some other means of compulsion. The moment
this thought--and, under all the circumstances, it was a reasonable
one--entered her mind, she trembled at the power of the dark-eyed,
silent being who sat there, and gazed upon her in revengeful triumph.
For relief, she turned her eyes to her parents; yet she saw there the
smile that approved his suit, and the confidence that would believe his
declaration. Her own Kirkpatrick was absent; and she dared not meet him
to receive the assistance of his advice, to enable her to support
herself under her trial, or devise a plan suited to the changed
circumstances for her relief. She hurried over her meal, and hastened
again to her apartment, to confirm herself in the opinion she had formed
of Blacket House's intentio