a request that I would write and tell him
how well she is, and how glad, and so on. There's a piece of work for
me!'

'Luckily you are not quite so savage as you pretend, either to him, or
your poor little niece.'

'Whew! I should not care whether she was niece or nephew but for him;
at least not much, as long as she comforted Amy; but to see him at
Redclyffe, and be obliged to make much of him at the same time, is more
than I can very well bear; though I may as well swallow it as best I
can, for she will have me do it, as well as on Laura's account.
Amy believes, you know, that he will think the inheritance a great
misfortune; but that is only a proof that she is more amiable than any
one else.'

'I should think he would not rejoice.'

'Not exactly; but I have no fear that he will not console himself by
thinking of the good he will do with it. I have no doubt that he was
thoroughly cut up, and I could even go the length of believing that
distress of mind helped to bring on the relapse, but it is some time
ago. And as to his breaking his heart after the first ten minutes at
finding himself what he has all his life desired to be, in a situation
where the full influence of his talents may be felt,' said Charles, with
a shade of imitation of his measured tones, 'why that, no one but silly
little Amy would ever dream of.'

'Well, I dare say you will grow merciful as you write.'

'No, that is not the way to let my indignation ooze out at my fingers'
ends. I shall begin by writing to condole with Markham. Poor man! what
a state he must be in; all the more pitiable because he evidently had
entirely forgotten that there could ever be a creature of the less
worthy gender born to the house of Morville; so it will take him quite
by surprise. What will he do, and how will he ever forgive Mrs. Ashford,
who, I see in the paper, has a son whom nobody wants, as if for the
express purpose of insulting Markham's feelings! Well-a-day! I should
have liked to have had the sound of Sir Guy Morville still in my ears,
and yet I don't know that I could have endured its being applied to a
little senseless baby! And, after all, we are the gainers; for it would
have been a forlorn thing to have seen Amy go off to reign queen-mother
at Redclyffe,--and most notably well would she have reigned, with that
clear little head. I vow 'tis a talent thrown away! However, I can't
grumble. She is much happier without greatness thrust on her, and for