as for your sake, Lizzie?"

"I presume it was for his own sake," said Elizabeth. "I should
think anybody who had the privilege of being Mr. Landholm's
friend, would know how to value it."

"_You_ would value it, for instance, I suppose?"

"I have no doubt I should."

"It seems to me you are a little too sure of valuing it," said
Mr. Haye, -- "for a young lady who has _not_ that privilege."

Elizabeth's cheeks burned on the instant, but her eye was
steady, and it looked full on her father while she asked him,

"Why, sir?"

"It is not worth while for you to like other people faster
than they like you?"

"Why not?" -- said Elizabeth, her cheek and eye both deepening
in their fire, but her look as steady and full, -- "Why not? --
if it should happen that I am less likeable than they?"

"Pshaw!" said Mr. Haye.

"If I were to gauge the respect and esteem I give others, by
the respect and esteem they might be able to give me, -- I
should cut off maybe the best pleasures of my life."

"Are respect and esteem the best pleasures of your life?" said
Rose satirically.

"I have never known any superior to them," said Elizabeth. But
she brought, as she spoke, her eye of fire to bear upon her
cousin, who gave way before it and was mum.

"And what may respect and esteem lead to?" said Mr. Haye.

"I don't know," said Elizabeth. "And I don't care -- even to
ask."

"Suppose they are not returned?"

"I have supposed that in the first place," she answered.

"At that rate you might be over head and ears in your regard
for several people at once, none of whom cared a straw for
you," said Mr. Haye.

"When I find _several_, men or women, that deserve the sort of
respect and esteem I am talking of," said Elizabeth -- "I am
not talking of a common kind, that you can give common people
-- I shall be in a new world!"

"And have you this sort of 'respect and esteem' for Mr.
Winthrop Landholm?" said her father.

"That's another question," said Elizabeth, for the first time
dropping her eye and speaking more quietly; -- "I was talking
of the general principle."

"And I am asking of the particular instance. Have you this
respect and esteem for this particular person of your
acquaintance?"

"I never gave it to many people in my life," said Elizabeth,
colouring again somewhat. "He has as fair a share of it as
most have."

"A little more?" said Mr. Haye smiling.

This time the answer she flashed at him was of proud and