Barrington

Barrington, as they sat in conclave t

ly folding it, like one trying to gain time before she spoke: "He's a clev

osal, Dinah,-

cter. A certain gravity of demeanor would not be undesirable, perhaps, in a husband for Josephine, wh

igh well the chances of his fitness to secure her happiness that he pleads; h

come to the plain question before us. So far as I understand him, his position is this: 'If I satisfy you that my

erself if, in that disparity of years, there exists that disparity of tastes and temper which would indispose her to regard me as one to whom she would intru

? What is his station independently of his military rank

nd myself till to-day in a po

f. With you alone the matter, perhaps, would not present much difficulty to him, but I intend that Mr. Witherin

h, that this gentleman is,

to bear in mind is, that he

on the reserve that should be maintained t

, seldom scruple about cutting a guest's head off when he passes the threshold; theref

o more put a gentleman under my roof to the question as to his father and mot

tates in your country, and if it could be restored to you to-morrow, the same imbe

g, I suppose,

isite without a legal adviser. Perhaps, were I to be so accompanied, Maj

intly at the dry jes

ess and persistence. I have listened to some edifying homilies from your friend Withering on female incredulity and so forth,-reproaches which will cease to apply when men shall condescend to treat us as creatures acc

, too," said Barrington, but in a tone

r a few inches, and peeped inside. "I want to show yo

ton. "I only wish you had arrived a li

d, but said twelve might possibly be taken, and twelve would be, I imagine, his limit, since he held to this amount in all our conversation afterwards. He appears to be a man of strange and eccentric habits, and these will probably be deemed a sufficient excuse for the singular turn our interview took towards its conclusion. I was speaking of Mr. Barrington's wish for the insertion in the deed of a definite period for redemption, and he stopped me hastily with, "What if we cou

uch an insult,-such an outrage as this? Go on, sir," said she, turning to W

, and hopes that I will only use his communication for my own guidance, and not permit it in any case t

aid she, angrily. "I wish, however, I were a man for a couple of hours,

that he holds us more cheap

en able to shake off the flattery of being chosen by the most nefarious rasc

your client," said she

for him. I read you Kinshela's note because I thought you were buil

looked forward to the day-and not a very distant day did he deem it-when he

eyes, as his sister's words sunk into his heart. "I declare,

r proposal of the same kind when you knocked. Read that letter. It is from a more adroit courtier than the other,

another guess sort of man, and a

favorite of yours," said

erests without any exaggerated notions of human perfectibility or the opposite, who recognize plenty of good and no small share of

egotism, sir," said she, warmly; "but I feel proud to

ortunate enough to number Miss Dinah

e I had against him before we met has b

ver, to call it a prejudic

but prejudice is only anot

hics we 'll forget all about t

ring, "that if we talk of mor

d I like his letter

one and the other

old a brief on either sid

the choice were open to you, it wo

ting 'to hang him,' it ought to make us very lenient in our construction of a letter. Now, so far as I can see in this one before us, he ne

t sight, though he has never

ything practical when you two stand up toget

er of an hour in your study. Find out who he is; I don't expect you to learn w

g, "all that is very busi

added she. "We take soundings,

ypified. Besides this, here is a man who, out of pure good nature and respect for poor George's memory, has been doing us most important services, written letters innumer

little tact, Barringto

have no more notion of getting at anything by

mble into the truth, though you'd never pick your way in

mind that he is a neighbor of some twenty years'

hat shall satisfy my consc

ines. Indeed, so hurried was the action, that it looked far more like one of t

d she, showing the

ing of the mouth being the only sign his face presented

it, Dinah?"

ther," said she, taking

act his epistle of this morning's date, she will place it in the hands

you will no

y name is Din