sly delivered, as well as more thankfully received, was not
wholly unproductive of the desired effect: his visit to the Wilsons was
not repeated, and though, in our subsequent interviews, he never
mentioned her name to me, nor I to him,--I have reason to believe he
pondered my words in his mind, eagerly though covertly sought information
respecting the fair lady from other quarters, secretly compared my
character of her with what he had himself observed and what he heard from
others, and finally came to the conclusion that, all things considered,
she had much better remain Miss Wilson of Ryecote Farm than be transmuted
into Mrs. Lawrence of Woodford Hall. I believe, too, that he soon
learned to contemplate with secret amazement his former predilection, and
to congratulate himself on the lucky escape he had made; but he never
confessed it to me, or hinted one word of acknowledgment for the part I
had had in his deliverance, but this was not surprising to any one that
knew him as I did.

As for Jane Wilson, she, of course, was disappointed and embittered by
the sudden cold neglect and ultimate desertion of her former admirer.
Had I done wrong to blight her cherished hopes? I think not; and
certainly my conscience has never accused me, from that day to this, of
any evil design in the matter.

CHAPTER XLVII

One morning, about the beginning of November, while I was inditing some
business letters, shortly after breakfast, Eliza Millward came to call
upon my sister. Rose had neither the discrimination nor the virulence to
regard the little demon as I did, and they still preserved their former
intimacy. At the moment of her arrival, however, there was no one in the
room but Fergus and myself, my mother and sister being both of them
absent, 'on household cares intent'; but I was not going to lay myself
out for her amusement, whoever else might so incline: I merely honoured
her with a careless salutation and a few words of course, and then went
on with my writing, leaving my brother to be more polite if he chose.
But she wanted to tease me.

'What a pleasure it is to find you at home, Mr. Markham!' said she, with
a disingenuously malicious smile. 'I so seldom see you now, for you
never come to the vicarage. Papa, is quite offended, I can tell you,'
she added playfully, looking into my face with an impertinent laugh, as
she seated herself, half beside and half before my desk, off the corner
of the table.

'I h