a pride, and yet a pain to me to know, sounds
pleasantly in your ears. I am a man advanced in life, as you see. I am
the father of him whom you honour and distinguish above all other
men. May I for weighty reasons which fill me with distress, beg but a
minute's conversation with you here?'

Who that was inexperienced in deceit, and had a frank and youthful
heart, could doubt the speaker's truth--could doubt it too, when the
voice that spoke, was like the faint echo of one she knew so well, and
so much loved to hear? She inclined her head, and stopping, cast her
eyes upon the ground.

'A little more apart--among these trees. It is an old man's hand, Miss
Haredale; an honest one, believe me.'

She put hers in it as he said these words, and suffered him to lead her
to a neighbouring seat.

'You alarm me, sir,' she said in a low voice. 'You are not the bearer of
any ill news, I hope?'

'Of none that you anticipate,' he answered, sitting down beside her.
'Edward is well--quite well. It is of him I wish to speak, certainly;
but I have no misfortune to communicate.'

She bowed her head again, and made as though she would have begged him
to proceed; but said nothing.

'I am sensible that I speak to you at a disadvantage, dear Miss
Haredale. Believe me that I am not so forgetful of the feelings of my
younger days as not to know that you are little disposed to view me
with favour. You have heard me described as cold-hearted, calculating,
selfish--'

'I have never, sir,'--she interposed with an altered manner and a firmer
voice; 'I have never heard you spoken of in harsh or disrespectful
terms. You do a great wrong to Edward's nature if you believe him
capable of any mean or base proceeding.'

'Pardon me, my sweet young lady, but your uncle--'

'Nor is it my uncle's nature either,' she replied, with a heightened
colour in her cheek. 'It is not his nature to stab in the dark, nor is
it mine to love such deeds.'

She rose as she spoke, and would have left him; but he detained her with
a gentle hand, and besought her in such persuasive accents to hear him
but another minute, that she was easily prevailed upon to comply, and so
sat down again.

'And it is,' said Mr Chester, looking upward, and apostrophising the
air; 'it is this frank, ingenuous, noble nature, Ned, that you can wound
so lightly. Shame--shame upon you, boy!'

She turned towards him quickly, and with a scornful look and flashing
eyes. There were tears