elihood by it; the
light was gone out of her eyes as she lifted them up heavily before
replying to any question, and the eyelids were often swollen with
crying.

But in all this there was no positive fault. Mr Bradshaw could not
have told her not to do this, or to do that, without her doing it;
for she had become much more docile of late.

It was a wonderful proof of the influence Ruth had gained in the
family, that Mr Bradshaw, after much deliberation, congratulated
himself on the wise determination he had made of requesting her to
speak to Jemima, and find out what feeling was at the bottom of all
this change in her ways of going on.

He rang the bell.

"Is Mrs Denbigh here?" he inquired of the servant who answered it.

"Yes, sir; she is just come."

"Beg her to come to me in this room as soon as she can leave the
young ladies."

Ruth came.

"Sit down, Mrs Denbigh; sit down. I want to have a little
conversation with you; not about your pupils, they are going on well
under your care, I am sure; and I often congratulate myself on the
choice I made--I assure you I do. But now I want to speak to you
about Jemima. She is very fond of you, and perhaps you could take
some opportunity of observing to her--in short, of saying to her,
that she is behaving very foolishly--in fact, disgusting Mr Farquhar
(who was, I know, inclined to like her) by the sullen, sulky way she
behaves in, when he is by."

He paused for the ready acquiescence he expected. But Ruth did not
quite comprehend what was required of her, and disliked the glimpse
she had gained of the task very much.

"I hardly understand, sir. You are displeased with Miss Bradshaw's
manners to Mr Farquhar."

"Well, well! not quite that; I am displeased with her manners--they
are sulky and abrupt, particularly when he is by--and I want you (of
whom she is so fond) to speak to her about it."

"But I have never had the opportunity of noticing them. Whenever I
have seen her, she has been most gentle and affectionate."

"But I think you do not hesitate to believe me, when I say that I
have noticed the reverse," said Mr Bradshaw, drawing himself up.

"No, sir. I beg your pardon if I have expressed myself so badly as to
seem to doubt. But am I to tell Miss Bradshaw that you have spoken
of her faults to me?" asked Ruth, a little astonished, and shrinking
more than ever from the proposed task.

"If you would allow me to finish what I have got to say, without
inte