him. Her first few minutes were occupied in answering the old
squire's questions about Jacob and the children. She had startled him
from his afternoon's sleep, and he was a little querulous and exacting,
as was usual at such times. But in a little she said:

"Mr Maxwell had good visits at the Hill, and at Mr Fleming's, he told
us. It is a good thing you thought of going with him, Elizabeth. You
and Cousin Betsey have become reconciled."

"Reconciled!" repeated Elizabeth; "we have never quarrelled."

"Oh, of course not. That would not do at all. But you have never been
very fond of one another, you know."

"I respect Cousin Betsey entirely, though we do not often see one
another," said Elizabeth. "I did not go to the Hill the other day,
however. Clifton went with Mr Maxwell, and they enjoyed it, as you
say."

The squire was a little deaf, and not catching what was said, needed to
have the whole matter explained to him.

"Betsey is a good woman," said he; "I respect Betsey. Her mother isn't
much of a business woman, and it is well Betsey is spared to her. It'll
be all right about the place; I'll make it all right, and Jacob won't be
hard on them."

And so the old man rambled on, till the talk turned to other matters,
and Mrs Jacob kept the rest of her remarks for Elizabeth's private ear.

"I am so glad you like Mr Maxwell, Elizabeth. I was afraid you would
not; you are so fastidious, you know, and he seems to have so little to
say for himself."

"I like him very much, and so does Clifton," said Elizabeth, waiting for
more.

"I am very glad. He seems to be having a good influence on Clifton. He
hasn't been in any trouble this time, at all, has he? How thankful you
must be. Jacob is pleased. I only hope it may last."

The discussion of her younger brother's delinquencies, real or supposed,
was almost the only thing that irritated Elizabeth beyond her power of
concealment; and if she had been in her sister-in-law's house, this
would have been the moment when she would have drawn her visit to a
close. Now she could only keep silence.

"I hope Clifton may do well next year," went on Mrs Jacob; "you will
miss him, and so shall we."

"We must do as well as we can without him. In summer he will be home
for good, I hope."

"Yes, if he should conclude to settle down steadily to business. Time
will show, and this winter we have Mr Maxwell. It depends some on Miss
Martha Langden, I suppose, how