thing less than a reciprocal passion could have prompted Mr. Falkland
to the desperate attempt of saving her from the flames; and she trusted
that this passion would speedily declare itself, as well as induce the
object of her adoration to overlook her comparative unworthiness.

Mr. Tyrrel endeavoured at first with some moderation to check Miss
Melville in her applauses, and to convince her by various tokens that
the subject was disagreeable to him. He was accustomed to treat her with
kindness. Emily, on her part, was disposed to yield an unreluctant
obedience, and therefore it was not difficult to restrain her. But upon
the very next occasion her favourite topic would force its way to her
lips. Her obedience was the acquiescence of a frank and benevolent
heart; but it was the most difficult thing in the world to inspire her
with fear. Conscious herself that she would not hurt a worm, she could
not conceive that any one would harbour cruelty and rancour against her.
Her temper had preserved her from obstinate contention with the persons
under whose protection she was placed; and, as her compliance was
unhesitating, she had no experience of a severe and rigorous treatment.
As Mr. Tyrrel's objection to the very name of Falkland became more
palpable and uniform, Miss Melville increased in her precaution. She
would stop herself in the half-pronounced sentences that were meant to
his praise. This circumstance had necessarily an ungracious effect; it
was a cutting satire upon the imbecility of her kinsman. Upon these
occasions she would sometimes venture upon a good-humoured
expostulation:--"Dear sir! well, I wonder how you can be so ill-natured!
I am sure Mr. Falkland would do you any good office in the
world:"--till she was checked by some gesture of impatience and
fierceness.

At length she wholly conquered her heedlessness and inattention. But it
was too late. Mr. Tyrrel already suspected the existence of that passion
which she had thoughtlessly imbibed. His imagination, ingenious in
torment, suggested to him all the different openings in conversation, in
which she would have introduced the praise of Mr. Falkland, had she not
been placed under this unnatural restraint. Her present reserve upon the
subject was even more insufferable than her former loquacity. All his
kindness for this unhappy orphan gradually subsided. Her partiality for
the man who was the object of his unbounded abhorrence, appeared to him
as the last p