that she was naturally very proud. There was nothing she
would not have borne from me except the slightest suspicion of her entire
devotion, or that she could in the most trifling way wrong or deceive me.

I am not young now. I have had my sorrows, and with them all that wealth,
virtually unlimited, can command; and through the retrospect a few bright
and pure lights quiver along my life's dark stream--dark, but for them; and
these are shed, not by the splendour of a splendid fortune, but by two or
three of the simplest and kindest remembrances, such as the poorest and
homeliest life may count up, and beside which, in the quiet hours of
memory, all artificial triumphs pale, and disappear, for they are never
quenched by time or distance, being founded on the affections, and so far
heavenly.

CHAPTER XLV

_A CHAPTER-FULL OF LOVERS_

We had about this time a pleasant and quite unexpected visit from Lord
Ilbury. He had come to pay his respects, understanding that my uncle Silas
was sufficiently recovered to see visitors. 'And I think I'll run up-stairs
first, and see him, if he admits me, and then I have ever so long a message
from my sister, Mary, for you and Miss Millicent; but I had better dispose
of my business first--don't you think so?--and I shall return in a few
minutes.'

And as he spoke our tremulous old butler returned to say that Uncle Silas
would be happy to see him. So he departed; and you can't think how pleasant
our homely sitting-room looked with his coat and stick in it--guarantees of
his return.

'Do you think, Milly, he is going to speak about the timber, you know, that
Cousin Knollys spoke of? I do hope not.'

'So do I,' said Milly. 'I wish he'd stayed a bit longer with us first, for
if he does, father will sure to turn him out of doors, and we'll see no
more of him.'

'Exactly, my dear Milly; and he's so pleasant and good-natured.'

'And he likes you awful well, he does.'

'I'm sure he likes us both equally, Milly; he talked a great deal to you at
Elverston, and used to ask you so often to sing those two pretty Lancashire
ballads,' I said; 'but you know when you were at your controversies and
religious exercises in the window, with that pillar of the church, the Rev.
Spriggs Biddlepen--'

'Get awa' wi' your nonsense, Maud; how could I help answering when he
dodged me up and down my Testament and catechism?--an I 'most hate him, I
tell you, and Cousin Knollys, you're such fools, I