ing there--my dear, the accounts
make your blood creep. I think Mr. Rhys is a great deal too valuable a
man to be lost there, among such a set of creatures--they are more like
devils than men. And Eleanor," said Miss Broadus, looking round to see
that nobody was within hearing of her communication,--"you have no idea
what a pleasant man he is. I asked him to tea with Juliana and me--you
know one must be kind and neighbourly at any rate--and he has no
friends here; I sometimes wonder if he has any anywhere; but he came to
tea, and he was as agreeable as possible. He was really excellent
company, and very well behaved. I think Juliana quite fell in love with
him; but I tell her it's no use; she never would go off to that
dreadful place with him."

And Miss Broadus laughed a laugh of simple amusement; Miss Juliana
being, though younger than herself, still very near the age of an old
lady. They kept the light-hearted simplicity of young years, however,
in a remarkable degree; and so had contrived to dispense with wrinkles
on their fresh old faces.

"Where is that place, Miss Broadus?"

"My dear, I never can remember the name of it. They do say the country
is beautiful, and the fruit, and all that; it is described to be a
beautiful place, where, as Heber's hymn says, 'only man is vile.' But
he is as vile as he can be, there. And I am sure Mr. Rhys would be a
great loss at Wiglands. My dear, how pleasant it would be, I said to
Juliana this morning, how pleasant it would be, if Mr. Rhys were only
in the Church, and could help good Dr. Cairnes. 'Tisn't likely they
will let him live long out there, if he goes."

"When is he going?"

"O I don't know when, my dear; he is waiting for something. And I never
can remember the name of the place; if a word has many syllables I
cannot keep them together in my memory; only I know the vegetables
there grow to an enormous size, and as if that wasn't enough, men
devour each other. It seems like an abusing the gifts of providence,
don't it? But there is nothing they do not abuse. I am afraid they will
abuse poor Mr. Rhys. And his boys would miss him very much, and I am
sure we all should. I have got quite acquainted with him, seeing him
here; and now Juliana has taken a fancy to ask him to our cottage--and
I have come to quite like him. What a different looking man he is from
Mr. Carlisle--now look at them talking together!--"

"Where did you learn all this, Miss Broadus? did Mr. Rhys