cause of these inquiries, and it kept her aloof from the Holt. When
Miss Charlecote spoke of poor Owen's want of spirits, discretion told her
that she was not the person to enliven him; and the consciousness of her
secret made her less desirous of confidences with her kind old friend, so
that her good offices chiefly consisted in having little Owen to the
Underwood to play with Maria, who delighted in his society, and
unconsciously did much for his improvement.

Honor herself perceived that Phoebe's visits only saddened her
convalescent, and that in his present state he was happiest with no one
but her, who was more than ever a mother to him. They were perfectly at
ease together, as she amused him with the familiar books, which did not
strain his powers like new ones, the quiet household talk, the little
playful exchanges of tender wit, and the fresh arrangement of all her
museum on the natural system, he having all the entertainment, and she
all the trouble, till her conversion astonished Bertha. The old
religious habits of the Holt likewise seemed to soothe and give him
pleasure; but whether by force of old association, or from their hold on
his heart, was as yet unknown to Honora, and perhaps to himself. It was
as if he were deferring all demonstration till he should be able again to
examine the subject with concentrated attention. Or it might be that,
while he shrank from exerting himself upon Randolf's behalf, he was not
ready for repentance, and therefore distrusted, and hung back from, the
impulses that would otherwise have drawn him to renew all that he had
once cast aside. He was never left alone without becoming deeply
melancholy, yet no companionship save Honor's seemed to suit him for many
minutes together. His brain was fast recovering the injury, but it was a
trying convalescence; and with returning health, his perfect helplessness
fretted him under all the difficulties of so tall and heavy a man being
carried from bed to sofa, from sofa to carriage.

'Poor Owen!' said Phoebe to herself, one day when she had not been able
to avoid witnessing this pitiable spectacle of infirmity; 'I can't think
why I am always fancying he is doing Humfrey and me some injustice, and
that he knows it. He, who brought Humfrey home, and has praised him to
Mervyn! It is very uncharitable of me, but why will he look at me as if
he were asking my pardon? Well, we shall see the result of Mervyn's
inspection!'

Mervyn a