mind, and endeavour to think
of some future for the poor girl.--Yours very faithfully,

EMMA KING.

It was in answer to such a letter as this, that Mr Whittlestaff had
declared that "He'd be whipped if he'd have anything to do with her."
But that expression, which must not in truth be accepted as meaning
anything, must not be supposed to have had even that dim shadow of a
meaning which the words may be supposed to bear. He had during the
last three months been asking himself the question as to what should
be Mary Lawrie's fate in life when her step-mother should have gone,
and had never quite solved the question whether he could or would not
bring into his own house, almost as a daughter, a young woman who
was in no way related to him. He had always begun these exercises
of thought, by telling himself that the world was a censorious old
fool, and that he might do just as he pleased as to making any girl
his daughter. But then, before dinner he had generally come to the
conclusion that Mrs Baggett would not approve. Mrs Baggett was his
housekeeper, and was to him certainly a person of importance. He had
not even suggested the idea to Mrs Baggett, and was sure that Mrs
Baggett would not approve. As to sending Mary Lawrie out into the
world as a governess;--that plan he was quite sure would not answer.

Two years ago had died his best beloved friend, Captain Patrick
Lawrie. With him we have not anything to do, except to say that of
all men he was the most impecunious. Late in life he had married
a second wife,--a woman who was hard, sharp, and possessed of an
annuity. The future condition of his only daughter had been a
terrible grief to him; but from Mr Whittlestaff he had received
assurances which had somewhat comforted him. "She shan't want. I
can't say anything further." Such had been the comfort given by Mr
Whittlestaff. And since his friend's death Mr Whittlestaff had been
liberal with presents,--which Mary had taken most unwillingly under
her step-mother's guidance. Such had been the state of things when
Mr Whittlestaff received the letter. When he had been walking up
and down the long walk for an extra hour, Mr Whittlestaff expressed
aloud the conclusion to which he had come. "I don't care one straw
for Mrs Baggett." It should be understood as having been uttered in
direct opposition to the first assurance made by him, that "He'd be
whipped if he'd have anything to do with her." In that hour he had
reso