to be so deceived; but you all worshipped the
boy as if every word that came out of his mouth was Gospel truth, and
you've set him up till he would not condescend to take an advice of his
own father, who little thought what an upstart sprig he was rearing; but
I tell him he has come to the wrong shop for domineering--eh, mamma?'

'Well!' cried Mrs. Edmonstone, who had read till near the end with
tolerable equanimity; this really is too bad!'

'Mamma and all!' thought poor Laura, while her mother continued,--'It
is wilful prejudice, to say the least,--I never could have believed him
capable of it!'

Charles next had the letter, and was commenting on it in a style of
mingled sarcasm and fury; while Laura longed to see it justify itself,
as she was sure it would.

'Read it, all of you--every bit,' said Mr. Edmonstone, 'that you may see
this paragon of yours!'

'I had rather not,' said Amy, shrinking as it came towards her.

'I should like you to do so, if you don't dislike it very much,' said
Guy.

She read in silence; and then came the turn of Laura, who marvelled at
the general injustice as she read.

'CORK, April 8th.
'MY DEAR UNCLE,--I am much obliged to you for the communication of your
intention with regard to Amabel; but, indeed, I must say I am a good
deal surprised that you should have so hastily resolved on so important
a step, and have been satisfied with so incomplete an explanation of
circumstances which appeared to you, as well as to myself, to show that
Guy's character was yet quite unsettled, and his conduct such as to
create considerable apprehension that he was habitually extremely
imprudent, to say the least of it, in the management of his own affairs.
How much more unfit, therefore, to have the happiness of another
intrusted to him? I believe--indeed, I understood you to have declared
to me that you were resolved never to allow the engagement to be
renewed, unless he should, with the deference which is only due to
you as his guardian, consent to clear up the mystery with which he
has thought fit to invest all his pecuniary transactions, and this, it
appears, he refuses, as he persists in denying all explanation of his
demand for that large sum of money. As to the cheque, which certainly
was applied to discreditable uses, though I will not suffer myself to
suppose that Guy was in collusion with his uncle, yet it is not at
all improbable that Dixon, not being a very scru