regard them as
the judgments of God on the lowly. With them, to "love" is merely to
contrive a scheme for achieving a good match; to be "disappointed" is to
have their scheme seen through and frustrated. They think the feelings
and projects of others on the subject of love similar to their own, and
judge them accordingly.

All this Caroline knew, partly by instinct, partly by observation. She
regulated her conduct by her knowledge, keeping her pale face and wasted
figure as much out of sight as she could. Living thus in complete
seclusion, she ceased to receive intelligence of the little transactions
of the neighbourhood.

One morning her uncle came into the parlour, where she sat endeavouring
to find some pleasure in painting a little group of wild flowers,
gathered under a hedge at the top of the Hollow fields, and said to her
in his abrupt manner, "Come, child, you are always stooping over
palette, or book, or sampler; leave that tinting work. By-the-bye, do
you put your pencil to your lips when you paint?"

"Sometimes, uncle, when I forget."

"Then it is that which is poisoning you. The paints are deleterious,
child. There is white lead and red lead, and verdigris, and gamboge, and
twenty other poisons in those colour cakes. Lock them up! lock them up!
Get your bonnet on. I want you to make a call with me."

"With _you_, uncle?"

This question was asked in a tone of surprise. She was not accustomed to
make calls with her uncle. She never rode or walked out with him on any
occasion.

"Quick! quick! I am always busy, you know. I have no time to lose."

She hurriedly gathered up her materials, asking, meantime, where they
were going.

"To Fieldhead."

"Fieldhead! What! to see old James Booth, the gardener? Is he ill?"

"We are going to see Miss Shirley Keeldar."

"Miss Keeldar! Is she coming to Yorkshire? Is she at Fieldhead?"

"She is. She has been there a week. I met her at a party last
night--that party to which you would not go. I was pleased with her. I
choose that you shall make her acquaintance. It will do you good."

"She is now come of age, I suppose?"

"She is come of age, and will reside for a time on her property. I
lectured her on the subject; I showed her her duty. She is not
intractable. She is rather a fine girl; she will teach you what it is to
have a sprightly spirit. Nothing lackadaisical about _her_."

"I don't think she will want to see me, or to have me introduced to her.
What