ugh, for the trio at
Pulwick. Madeleine shunned none of the usages of life in common,
worked and talked with Sophia of a morning, rode or walked out with
Rupert of an afternoon; and passed the evening at her embroidery frame
meeting his efforts to entertain her as amiably as before.

Rupert thought he knew enough of the human heart, and more especially
the feminine, to draw satisfactory conclusions from this behaviour.
For a girl to bear no malice to the man who had taken it upon himself
to demonstrate to her the unworthiness of her lover, argued, to his
mind, that her affections could not have been very deeply engaged in
that quarter. It was clear that she felt gratitude for a timely
rescue. Nay, might he not go further, and lay the flattering unction
to his soul that she would not be unwilling to transfer these same
blighted feelings to a more suitable recipient?

A slight incident which took place a few nights later, tended still
more to increase the kindness of Madeleine's manner to him upon the
next day; but this was for a reason that he little suspected.

It had been an anniversary with Sophia--none less indeed than that of
the lamented Rector's demise. When her young cousin had retired to her
room, the desire to pursue her thither with a packet of old letters,
and other treasures exhumed from the depths of her cupboards, had
proved too strong for a soul burning for congenial sympathy; and
Sophia had spent a couple of very delightful hours pouring forth
reminiscences and lamentations into the bosom of one who, as she said,
she knew could understand her.

Madeleine a little wearied, stifling a sigh or a yawn as the minutes
ticked by, was too gentle, too kind-hearted to repel the faithful, if
loquacious mourner; so she had sat and listened, which was all that
Sophia required.

Upon the stroke of twelve, Miss Landale rose at length, collected her
relics, and mopping her swollen eyes, embraced her cousin, and bade
her good-night with much effusion, while with cordial alacrity the
latter conducted her to the door.

But here Sophia paused. Holding the flat silver candlestick with one
hand, with the other clasping to her bosom her bundle of superannuated
love letters, she glanced out into the long black chasm of corridor
with a shudder, and vowed she had not the courage to traverse it alone
at such an hour. She cast as she spoke such a meaning glance at
Madeleine's great bed, that, trembling lest her next words sh