."

"You see," retorted Shirley, with ire, "he is a topic on which you and I
shall quarrel if we discuss it often; so drop it henceforward and for
ever."

"I suppose he has more than once behaved in this way," thought Caroline
to herself, "and that renders Shirley so distant to him. Yet I wonder
she cannot make allowance for character and circumstances. I wonder the
general modesty, manliness, sincerity of his nature do not plead with
her in his behalf. She is not often so inconsiderate, so irritable."

* * * * *

The verbal testimony of two friends of Caroline's to her cousin's
character augmented her favourable opinion of him. William Farren, whose
cottage he had visited in company with Mr. Hall, pronounced him a "real
gentleman;" there was not such another in Briarfield.
He--William--"could do aught for that man. And then to see how t' bairns
liked him, and how t' wife took to him first minute she saw him. He
never went into a house but t' childer wor about him directly. Them
little things wor like as if they'd a keener sense nor grown-up folks i'
finding our folk's natures."

Mr. Hall, in answer to a question of Miss Helstone's as to what he
thought of Louis Moore, replied promptly that he was the best fellow he
had met with since he left Cambridge.

"But he is so grave," objected Caroline.

"Grave! the finest company in the world! Full of odd, quiet,
out-of-the-way humour. Never enjoyed an excursion so much in my life as
the one I took with him to the Lakes. His understanding and tastes are
so superior, it does a man good to be within their influence; and as to
his temper and nature, I call them fine."

"At Fieldhead he looks gloomy, and, I believe, has the character of
being misanthropical."

"Oh! I fancy he is rather out of place there--in a false position. The
Sympsons are most estimable people, but not the folks to comprehend him.
They think a great deal about form and ceremony, which are quite out of
Louis's way."

"I don't think Miss Keeldar likes him."

"She doesn't know him--she doesn't know him; otherwise she has sense
enough to do justice to his merits."

"Well, I suppose she doesn't know him," mused Caroline to herself, and
by this hypothesis she endeavoured to account for what seemed else
unaccountable. But such simple solution of the difficulty was not left
her long. She was obliged to refuse Miss Keeldar even this negative
excuse for her prejudice.

One