e of trouble; and vainly did Lucy
gaze wistfully at the swollen eyelids and flushed cheeks, watch every
peevish gesture, and tend each sullen wish, with pitying sweetness; she
could not reach the inner man, nor touch the aching wound.

Towards evening, Mrs. Murrell's name was brought in, provoking a fretful
injunction from Owen not to let him be molested with her cant. Lucilla
sighed compliance, though vexed at his egotism, and went to the study,
where she found that Mrs. Murrell had brought her grandson, her own most
precious comforter, whom she feared she must resign 'to be bred up as a
gentleman as he was, and despise his poor old granny; and she would say
not a word, only if his papa would let her keep him till he had cut his
first teeth, for he had always been tender, and she could not be easy to
think that any one else had the charge of him.' She devoured him with
kisses as she spoke, taking every precaution to keep her profuse tears
from falling on him; and Lucilla, much moved, answered, 'Oh! for the
present, no one could wish to part him from you. Poor little fellow!
May I take him for a little while to my brother? It may do him good.'

Cilly had rather have ridden a kicking horse than handled an infant. She
did not think this a prepossessing specimen, but it was passive. She had
always understood from books that this was the sure means of 'opening the
sealed fountains of grief.' She remembered what little Mary had been to
her father, and in hopes that parental instinct would make Owen know
better what to do with her burden than she did, she entered the
drawing-room, where a little murmuring sound caused Owen to start up on
his elbow, exclaiming, 'What are you at? Don't bring _that_ here!'

'I thought you might wish to see him.'

'What should I do with him?' asked Owen, in the same glum, childish tone,
turning his face inwards as he lay down. 'Take it away. Ain't I
wretched enough already to please you?'

She gave up the point, much grieved and strongly drawn to the little
helpless one, rejected by his father, misused and cast off like his
mother. Would no one stand up for him? Yes, it must be her part. She
was his champion! She would set him forth in the world, by her own toil
if need were!

Sealing the promise with a kiss, she returned him to his grandmother, and
talked of him as so entirely her personal concern, that the good woman
went home to report to her inquiring friends that the young