ubordination.

Milly was in favour of again attacking 'Beauty's' position on her return,
and forcing a passage from this side; but I insisted on following the route
by which we had arrived, and so we got round the paling by the river, and
were treated to a provoking grin of defiance by 'Beauty,' who was talking
across the gate to a slim young man, arrayed in fustian, and with an
odd-looking cap of rabbit-skin on his head, which, on seeing us, he pulled
sheepishly to the side of his face next to us, as he lounged, with his arm
under his chin, on the top bar of the gate.

After our encounter of to-day, indeed, it was Miss 'Beauty's' wont to
exhibit a kind of jeering disdain in her countenance whenever we passed.

I think Milly would have engaged her again, had I not reminded her of her
undertaking, and exerted my new authority.

'Look at that sneak, Pegtop, there, going up the path to the mill. He makes
belief now he does not see us; but he does, though, only he's afraid we'll
tell the Governor, and he thinks Governor won't give him his way with you.
I hate that Pegtop: he stopped me o' riding the cows a year ago, he did.'

I thought Pegtop might have done worse. Indeed it was plain that a total
reformation was needed here; and I was glad to find that poor Milly seemed
herself conscious of it; and that her resolution to become more like other
people of her station was not a mere spasm of mortification and jealousy,
but a genuine and very zealous resolve.

I had not half seen this old house of Bartram-Haugh yet. At first, indeed,
I had but an imperfect idea of its extent. There was a range of rooms along
one side of the great gallery, with closed window-shutters, and the doors
generally locked. Old L'Amour grew cross when we went into them, although
we could see nothing; and Milly was afraid to open the windows--not that
any Bluebeard revelations were apprehended, but simply because she knew
that Uncle Silas's order was that things should be left undisturbed; and
this boisterous spirit stood in awe of him to a degree which his gentle
manners and apparent quietude rendered quite surprising.

There were in this house, what certainly did not exist at Knowl, and what
I have never observed, thought they may possibly be found in other old
houses--I mean, here and there, very high hatches, which we could only
peep over by jumping in the air. They crossed the long corridors and great
galleries; and several of them were turned