ur mind
about anybody till I come."

I left the dining-room in better humour than when I went in,
and sat down with the two Miss Farnleys, at a round table
covered with annuals and albums. We entered into conversation,
and _got on_ (as the phrase is) very well. They were both
nice-looking girls; the eldest was handsome. It was not
difficult to comply with Henry's request, that I should not
make up my mind about any one till he had given me his
opinion; for a whole quarter of an hour had not elapsed before
he made his appearance in the drawing-room, and instantly came
and sat down on the couch by me. Lady Wyndham at that moment
begged the eldest Miss Farnley to come and give her advice
about some pattern or stitch that she was employed upon, and
the youngest went to the open window to speak to Mrs. Brandon
and to Mrs. Ernsley, who were walking up and down the gravel
walk near the house.

"How do you like your aunt, Ellen?"

"Don't call her my aunt; that is a name sacred to me. I cannot
call any one but your sister, my aunt."

"Well, Mrs. Brandon, then; how do you like her?"

"I thought I was not to make up my mind about any one without
your assistance?"

"True, but I did not include her; she is an old friend of
mine, and I might be partial."

"There would be no harm in biassing me in her favour. I ought
to like her, and I'm afraid I don't."

"Don't you?" said Henry, in a tone of so much annoyance and
mortification, that I looked at him with surprise. "You will
like her," he added, "when you know her."

"But when did you see so much of her? And if she is such a
friend of yours, why did you never talk to me of her?"

He did not answer immediately, and I went on.

"But you are very mysterious about all your acquaintances; for
instance, you know how delighted I was with Alice Tracy."

I was obliged to summon up all my courage to pronounce her
name; how often does one feel that there are subjects which
become forbidden ones between people with whom in general
there exists no reserve, and which, by some strange instinct,
one cannot touch upon without emotion, though nothing
reasonable can be alleged to account for it. He started, and
his countenance instantaneously clouded over; but I went on
with a kind of cowardly courage.

"And yet, I dare say, you have seen her, or heard something
about her since our visit to Bridman Manor, and have never
told me."

"I have _not_ seen her."

"Where is she now?" I p