should continue which brought considerable
satisfaction to himself, and could not deprive the squire or his son of
anything to which either had a legal claim. The disgust, however, of
Mr Huntingdon, when he found out how he had, as he considered it, been
taken advantage of and imposed upon, was intense in the extreme. No one
dared refer to Mr Sutterby in his presence, while the very name of the
poor boy Amos was scarcely ever spoken by him except in a tone of
bitterness; and even his mother looked forward to his holidays with more
of apprehension than rejoicing.

There was one, however, who felt for that desolate-hearted child, and
loved him with a mother's tenderness. This was his aunt, Miss
Huntingdon, his father's unmarried and only sister. Half his holidays
would be spent at her house; and oh, what happy days they were for him!
Happy, too, at last in the brightest and fullest sense; for that loving
friend was privileged to lead her nephew gently to Him who says to the
shy schoolboy, as much as to the mature man, in his sorrows, "Come unto
me, all ye that labour and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

In the meanwhile, when Amos was five years old, another son was born at
Flixworth Manor. The baby was christened Walter, and nearly all the
love that was the share of the elder brother was poured by both father
and mother on the younger son. Years rolled on, and when our story
opens Amos was twenty-two years of age. He had passed creditably
through the university course at Oxford, but had not settled down to any
profession. Walter was seventeen; his father's delight and constant
companion in his holidays; full of life, energy, and fun, with an
unlimited good opinion of himself, and a very limited good opinion of
his brother; while all around who knew him only a little were loud in
his praises, which were not, however, echoed by those who knew him more
thoroughly. At present he was remaining at home, after completing his
school education, neither his father nor himself being able to make up
their minds as to the sphere in which his abilities would shine the
best.

And where was his sister, the eldest of the three, who was now twenty-
five years of age? Alas! she had grievously disappointed the hopes of
both father and mother, having clandestinely married, when not yet
arrived at womanhood, a man altogether beneath her in position. From
the day of that marriage Mr Huntingdon's heart and house were c