and it was Ellinor's duty to see that the paper was
regularly taken from her father's house to the parsonage. Her father
liked to dawdle over it. Until Mr. Corbet had come to live with him, Mr.
Ness had not much cared at what time it was passed on to him; but the
young man took a strong interest in all public events, and especially in
all that was said about them. He grew impatient if the paper was not
forthcoming, and would set off himself to go for it, sometimes meeting
the penitent breathless Ellinor in the long lane which led from Hamley to
Mr. Wilkins's house. At first he used to receive her eager "Oh! I am so
sorry, Mr. Corbet, but papa has only just done with it," rather gruffly.
After a time he had the grace to tell her it did not signify; and by-and-
by he would turn back with her to give her some advice about her garden,
or her plants--for his mother and sisters were first-rate practical
gardeners, and he himself was, as he expressed it, "a capital consulting
physician for a sickly plant."

All this time his voice, his step, never raised the child's colour one
shade the higher, never made her heart beat the least quicker, as the
slightest sign of her father's approach was wont to do. She learnt to
rely on Mr. Corbet for advice, for a little occasional sympathy, and for
much condescending attention. He also gave her more fault-finding than
all the rest of the world put together; and, curiously enough, she was
grateful to him for it, for she really was humble and wished to improve.
He liked the attitude of superiority which this implied and exercised
right gave him. They were very good friends at present. Nothing more.

All this time I have spoken only of Mr. Wilkins's life as he stood in
relation to his daughter. But there is far more to be said about it.
After his wife's death, he withdrew himself from society for a year or
two in a more positive and decided manner than is common with widowers.
It was during this retirement of his that he riveted his little
daughter's heart in such a way as to influence all her future life.

When he began to go out again, it might have been perceived--had any one
cared to notice--how much the different characters of his father and wife
had influenced him and kept him steady. Not that he broke out into any
immoral conduct, but he gave up time to pleasure, which both old Mr.
Wilkins and Lettice would have quietly induced him to spend in the
office, superintending his