ll stay for the first week. I must go to Hereford before the
summer is over. Shall I write to him?" Then it was settled as she
had proposed. She wrote all her uncle's letters, even to her cousin
Henry, unless there was, by chance, something very special to be
communicated. On the present occasion she sent the invitation as
follows:--

Llanfeare, 17th June, 187--, Monday.

MY DEAR HENRY,

Your uncle wants you to come here on the 1st July and stay
for a month. The 1st of July will be Monday. Do not travel
on a Sunday as you did last time, because he does not like
it. I shall be here the first part of the time, and then
I shall go to Hereford. It is in the middle of the summer
only that I can leave him. Your affectionate cousin,

ISABEL BRODRICK.

She had often felt herself compelled to sign herself to him in that
way, and it had gone much against the grain with her; but to a
cousin it was the ordinary thing, as it is to call any different man
"My dear sir," though he be not in the least dear. And so she had
reconciled herself to the falsehood.

Another incident in Isabel's life must be told to the reader. It
was her custom to go to Hereford at least once a year, and there to
remain at her father's house for a month. These visits had been made
annually since she had lived at Llanfeare, and in this way she had
become known to many of the Hereford people. Among others who had
thus become her friends there was a young clergyman, William Owen, a
minor canon attached to the cathedral, who during her last visit had
asked her to be his wife. At that time she had supposed herself to
be her uncle's heiress, and looking at herself as the future owner
of Llanfeare had considered herself bound to regard such an offer in
reference to her future duties and to the obedience which she owed
to her uncle. She never told her lover, not did she ever quite tell
herself, that she would certainly accept him if bound by no such
considerations; but we may tell the reader that it was so. Had she
felt herself to be altogether free, she would have given herself to
the man who had offered her his love. As it was she answered him
anything but hopefully, saying nothing of any passion of her own,
speaking of herself as though she were altogether at the disposal of
her uncle. "He has decided now," she said, "that when he is gone the
property is to be mine." The minor canon, who had heard nothing of
this, drew himsel