North and South

ogs the

dwarf

ound on e

EW AR

had more iron, and less wood and leather about the horse-gear; the people in the streets, although on pleasure bent, had yet a busy mind. The colours looked grayer - more enduring, not so gay and pretty. There were no smock-frocks, even among the country folk; they retarded motion, and were apt to catch on machinery, and so the habit of wearing them had died out. In such towns in the south of England, Margaret had seen

pose in. The distant sea, lapping the sandy shore with measured sound; the nearer cries of the donkey-boys; the unusual scenes moving before her like pictures, which she cared not in her laziness to have fully explained before they passed away; the stroll down to the beach to breathe the sea-air, soft and warm on that sandy shore even to the

Bell, and one or two from Mr. Thornton, and he was anxious to ascertain at once a good many particulars respecting his position and chances of success there, which he could only do by an interview with the latter gentleman. Margare

raight, hopeless streets of regularly-built houses, all small and of brick. Here and there a great oblong many-windowed factory stood up, like a hen among her chickens, puffing out black 'unparliamentary' smoke, and sufficiently accounting for the cloud which Margaret had taken to foretell rain. As they drove through the larger and wider streets, from the station to the hotel, they had to stop constantly; great loaded lurries blocked up the not over-wide thoroughfares. Margaret ha

opening of this street from a lane into a great thoroughfare, thirty years ago, which has caused his property to rise so much in va

our hote

all we have lunch before or after we have looke

get our work

e would let me know anything he might hear about these houses, and then we will set off. We will kee

ire they could have met with a roomy house and pleasant garden for the money. Here, even the necessary accommodation of two sitting-rooms and

our dining-room (poor papa!), for, you know, we settled mamma is to have as cheerful a sitting-room as we can get; and that front room up-stairs, with the atrocious blue and pink paper and heavy cornice, had really a pretty view over the plain, with a great bend of river, or canal, or

the girl we are

let me see, I had it once - the back sitting-room. I think she will like that. She grumbles so much about

at taste! And the overloading such a ho

rooms - the drawing-room and your bed-room - for mamma will come most in contact with the

the advertisement refers me. I will take you back to the hotel, where you can order lunch, and

city which are of themselves the framework of elegance. Her father took her through the entrance of the hotel, and leaving her at the foot of the staircase, went to the

directly after you left; and, as I understood from what the gentleman said, you would be back in an hour, I told h

ton was a good deal more surprised and discomfited than she. Instead of a quiet, middle-aged clergyman, a young lady came forward with frank dignity - a young lady of a different type to most of those he was in the habit of seeing. Her dress was very plain: a close straw bonnet of the best material and shape, trimmed with white ribbon; a dark silk gown, without any trimming or flounce; a large Indian shawl, which

you sit down. My father brought me to the door, not a minute ago, but unfortunately he was not told that you were here, and h

rule over him at once. He had been getting impatient at the loss of his time on a mar

Mr. Hale has gone to? Perhap

Street. He is the land-lord of the hous

est in the case of a clergyman who had given up his living under circumstances such as those of Mr. Hale. Mr. Thornton had thought that the house in Crampton was really just the thing; but now that he saw Margaret, with

hat he would go, as he had once spoken of doing, instead of sitting there, answering with curt sentences all the remarks she made. She had taken off her shawl, and hung it over the back of her chair. She sat facing him and facing the light; her full beauty met his eye; her round white flexile throat rising out of the full, yet lithe figure; her lips, moving so slightly as she spoke, not breaking the cold serene look of her face with any variation from the one lovely haughty curve; her eyes, with their soft gloom, meeting his with quiet maiden freedom. He almost said to himself that he did

y be called which consisted of so few and such short speeches - her father came in, and with his pleasa

ng the visitor was over, went to the window to try and make herself more familiar with the strange aspect of the street. She got so much

in admiring that hideous paper, and

his kindly country hospitality, was pressing Mr. Thornton to stay to luncheon with them. It would have been very inconvenient to him to do so, yet he felt that he should have yielded, if Margaret by word or look had seconded her father'

luncheon, as fast we c

when I came home, and I hav

can get. He must have been wa

last gasp when you came in. He never went on with a

fellow. He said (did you hear?) that Crampton is on gravelly soil,

unt to be given to Mrs. Hale, who was full of question

correspondent, M

d he had a long attempt at conversation,

d to tax her powers of description much. And then rousing herself, s

guess abou

plain, nor yet handsome, nothing remarkable - not qu

r father, rather jealous of any disparage

, could be either vulgar or common. I should not like to have to bargain with him; he looks very inflexible

nufacturers tradesmen, Ma

e very d

rect, papa, I won't use it. But, oh mamma! speaking of vulgarity and commonness, you must prepare yourself f

hey liked, that he had relented from his expressed determination not to repaper. There was no particular need to tell them, that what he did not care to do for