e garden--Walter!'

'No, no, Esther! you will seriously displease me if you do; and I shall
leave you immediately, and not come again for months--perhaps years.'

'Did you call, Esther?' said her brother, approaching the window from
without.

'Yes; I wanted to ask you--'

'Good-morning, Esther,' said I, taking her hand and giving it a severe
squeeze.

'To ask you,' continued she, 'to get me a rose for Mrs. Huntingdon.' He
departed. 'Mrs. Huntingdon,' she exclaimed, turning to me and still
holding me fast by the hand, 'I'm quite shocked at you--you're just as
angry, and distant, and cold as he is: and I'm determined you shall be as
good friends as ever before you go.'

'Esther, how can you be so rude!' cried Mrs. Hargrave, who was seated
gravely knitting in her easy-chair. 'Surely, you never will learn to
conduct yourself like a lady!'

'Well, mamma, you said yourself--' But the young lady was silenced by
the uplifted finger of her mamma, accompanied with a very stern shake of
the head.

'Isn't she cross?' whispered she to me; but, before I could add my share
of reproof, Mr. Hargrave reappeared at the window with a beautiful
moss-rose in his hand.

'Here, Esther, I've brought you the rose,' said he, extending it towards
her.

'Give it her yourself, you blockhead!' cried she, recoiling with a spring
from between us.

'Mrs. Huntingdon would rather receive it from you,' replied he, in a very
serious tone, but lowering his voice that his mother might not hear. His
sister took the rose and gave it to me.

'My brother's compliments, Mrs. Huntingdon, and he hopes you and he will
come to a better understanding by-and-by. Will that do, Walter?' added
the saucy girl, turning to him and putting her arm round his neck, as he
stood leaning upon the sill of the window--'or should I have said that
you are sorry you were so touchy? or that you hope she will pardon your
offence?'

'You silly girl! you don't know what you are talking about,' replied he
gravely.

'Indeed I don't: for I'm quite in the dark!'

'Now, Esther,' interposed Mrs. Hargrave, who, if equally benighted on the
subject of our estrangement, saw at least that her daughter was behaving
very improperly, 'I must insist upon your leaving the room!'

'Pray don't, Mrs. Hargrave, for I'm going to leave it myself,' said I,
and immediately made my adieux.

About a week after Mr. Hargrave brought his sister to see me. He
conducted himself, at first, w