heep."

"I'm afraid he is."

"But black sheep are not like blackamoors; they may be washed white.
You said so yourself the other day."

"Did I, my dear?"

"Certainly you did; and certainly they may. Why, Mamma, what is all
religion but the washing of black sheep white; making the black a
little less black, scraping a spot white here and there?"

"I am afraid your Cousin George is beyond washing."

"Then Mamma, all I can say is, he oughtn't to come here. Mind,
I think you wrong him. I daresay he has been giddy and fond of
pleasure; but if he is so bad as you say, Papa should tell him at
once not to come. As far as I am concerned, I don't believe he is so
bad; and I shall be glad to see him."

There was no cautioning a young woman who could reason in this way,
and who could look at her mother as Emily looked. It was not, at
least, within the power of Lady Elizabeth to do so. And yet she could
not tell Sir Harry of her failure. She thought that she had expressed
the caution; and she thought also that her daughter would be wise
enough to be guided,--not by her mother's wisdom, but by the words of
her father. Poor dear woman! She was thinking of it every hour of the
day; but she said nothing more on the subject, either to her daughter
or to Sir Harry.

The black sheep came, and made one of a number of numerous visitors.
It had been felt that the danger would be less among a multitude; and
there was present a very excellent young man, as to whom there were
hopes. Steps had not been taken about this excellent young man as had
been done in reference to Lord Alfred; but still there were hopes. He
was the eldest son of a Lincolnshire squire, a man of fair property
and undoubted family; but who, it was thought, would not object to
merge the name of Thoresby in that of Hotspur. Nothing came of the
young man, who was bashful, and to whom Miss Hotspur certainly gave
no entertainment of a nature to remove his bashfulness. But when
the day for George's coming had been fixed, Sir Harry thought it
expedient to write to young Thoresby and accelerate a visit which had
been previously proposed. Sir Harry as he did so almost hated himself
for his anxiety to dispose of his daughter. He was a gentleman, every
inch of him; and he thoroughly desired to do his duty. He knew,
however, that there was much in his feelings of which he could not
but be ashamed. And yet, if something were not done to assist his
girl in a right disposal of al