or the present, at least, his mind was
utterly taken up by this one great subject; there was no room in it
left for light things; love skirmishes could not be carried on over the
ground he now occupied; he was wholly absorbed in his new decisions and
experiences, and likely to be engaged with the consequences of them.
Betty was sorry for him just now, for she saw that he felt pain; and at
the same time she admired him more than ever. His face was more sweet,
she thought, and yet more strong, than she had ever seen it; his manner
to his mother was perfect. So had not been her manner towards him. He
had been gentle, steadfast, and true, manly and tender. 'Happy will be
the woman that will share his life, whatever it be!' thought Betty,
with some constriction of heart; but to bring herself into that
favoured place she saw little chance now. She longed to say a word of
some sort that might sound like sympathy or intelligence; but she could
not find it, and wisely held her peace.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

_LIFE PLANS_.

Happily or unhappily,--it was as people looked at it,--Pitt's free days
in America were drawing to a close. There were few still remaining to
him before he must leave Seaforth and home, and go back to his reading
law in the Temple. In those days there was a little more discussion of
his new views and their consequences between him and his mother, but
not much; and none at all between him and his father.

'Pitt is not a fool,' he had said, when Mrs. Dallas, in her distress,
confided to him Pitt's declaration; 'I can trust him not to make an ass
of himself; and so can you, wife.'

'But he is very strong when he takes a thing in his head; always was.'

'This thing will get out of his head again, you will see.'

'I do not believe it. It isn't his way.'

'One thing is certain,--I shall never give my money to a fool to make
ducks and drakes with; and you may hint as much to him.'

'It would be very unwise policy,' said Mrs. Dallas thoughtfully.

'Then let it alone. I have no idea there is any need. You may depend
upon it, London and law will scare all this nonsense away, fast enough.'

Mrs. Dallas felt no comforting assurance of the kind. She watched her
son during the remaining days of his presence with them--watched him
incessantly; so did Betty Frere, and so, in truth, secretly, did his
father. Pitt was rather more quiet than usual; there was not much other
change to be observed in him, or so Mrs. D