od discipline if I owned you? Let me
take the umbrella."

"I can't stay two minutes; our dinner will be ready."

"And so will ours; and we have always a hot dinner on Sundays. Roast
goose to-day, with apple-pie and rice-pudding. I always contrive to know
the bill of fare. Well, I like these things uncommonly; but I'll make
the sacrifice, if you will."

"We have a cold dinner. My uncle will allow no unnecessary cooking on
the Sabbath. But I must return; the house would be in commotion if I
failed to appear."

"So will Briarmains, bless you! I think I hear my father sending out the
overlooker and five of the dyers, to look in six directions for the body
of his prodigal son in the snow; and my mother repenting her of her
many misdeeds towards me, now I am gone."

"Martin, how is Mr. Moore?"

"_That_ is what you came for, just to say that word."

"Come, tell me quickly."

"Hang him! he is no worse; but as ill-used as ever--mewed up, kept in
solitary confinement. They mean to make either an idiot or a maniac of
him, and take out a commission of lunacy. Horsfall starves him; you saw
how thin he was."

"You were very good the other day, Martin."

"What day? I am always good--a model."

"When will you be so good again?"

"I see what you are after; but you'll not wheedle me--I am no
cat's-paw."

"But it must be done. It is quite a right thing, and a necessary thing."

"How you encroach! Remember, I managed the matter of my own free will
before."

"And you will again."

"I won't. The business gave me far too much trouble. I like my ease."

"Mr. Moore wishes to see me, Martin, and I wish to see him."

"I dare say" (coolly).

"It is too bad of your mother to exclude his friends."

"Tell her so."

"His own relations."

"Come and blow her up."

"You know that would advance nothing. Well, I shall stick to my point.
See him I will. If you won't help me, I'll manage without help."

"Do; there is nothing like self-reliance, self-dependence."

"I have no time to reason with you now; but I consider you provoking.
Good-morning."

Away she went, the umbrella shut, for she could not carry it against the
wind.

"She is not vapid; she is not shallow," said Martin. "I shall like to
watch, and mark how she will work her way without help. If the storm
were not of snow, but of fire--such as came refreshingly down on the
cities of the plain--she would go through it to procure five minutes'
speech of that Moore.