rruption, I could then tell you what I do wish."

"I beg your pardon, sir," said Ruth, gently.

"I wish you to join our circle occasionally in an evening; Mrs
Bradshaw shall send you an invitation when Mr Farquhar is likely
to be here. Warned by me, and, consequently, with your observation
quickened, you can hardly fail to notice instances of what I have
pointed out; and then I will trust to your own good sense" (Mr
Bradshaw bowed to her at this part of his sentence) "to find an
opportunity to remonstrate with her."

Ruth was beginning to speak, but he waved his hand for another minute
of silence.

"Only a minute, Mrs Denbigh. I am quite aware that, in requesting
your presence occasionally in the evening, I shall be trespassing
upon the time which is, in fact, your money; you may be assured that
I shall not forget this little circumstance, and you can explain what
I have said on this head to Benson and his sister."

"I am afraid I cannot do it," Ruth began; but while she was choosing
words delicate enough to express her reluctance to act as he wished,
he had almost bowed her out of the room; and thinking that she was
modest in her estimate of her qualifications for remonstrating with
his daughter, he added, blandly,

"No one so able, Mrs Denbigh. I have observed many qualities in
you--observed when, perhaps, you have little thought it."

If he had observed Ruth that morning, he would have seen an absence
of mind, and depression of spirits, not much to her credit as a
teacher; for she could not bring herself to feel that she had any
right to go into the family purposely to watch over and find fault
with any one member of it. If she had seen anything wrong in Jemima,
Ruth loved her so much that she would have told her of it in private;
and with many doubts, how far she was the one to pull out the mote
from any one's eye, even in the most tender manner;--she would have
had to conquer reluctance before she could have done even this;
but there was something undefinably repugnant to her in the manner
of acting which Mr Bradshaw had proposed, and she determined not
to accept the invitations which were to place her in so false a
position.

But as she was leaving the house, after the end of the lessons, while
she stood in the hall tying on her bonnet, and listening to the last
small confidences of her two pupils, she saw Jemima coming in through
the garden-door, and was struck by the change in her looks. The large
eye