garth? Yes, I see--very good friends they appear to be, in
spite of circumstances. Two superior minds, you see."

"He takes such care of your horses and dogs, Miss Alice; and as for
your room, when mama proposed making it into a card-room, as it was
larger than the library, he looked as black as thunder, and said he
never would have cards played there. It was a Blue Beard's room, so we
got no access to it."

"I thought he would be kind to the animals; he promised as much to
Jane."

"Oh! indeed, he is as good as his word, then," said Miss Rennie. Then,
recollecting that this talk must be painful to the girl, she turned to
Mr. Malcolm, and asked how his evangelical novel was getting on.

"Finished, and in the press by this time."

"Will it be a success? But everything you write is a success, so I need
not ask," said Miss Rennie.

"The pub. says it has not exactly the genuine twang, but I hope no one
will observe that but himself. I have more incidents in it than usual
in works of the class--an elopement, a divorce, a duel, a murder, and a
shipwreck."

"I must have a first reading, recollect. It must be so interesting,"
said Miss Rennie.

"Thrilling, I should say," said Mr. Brandon. "Well, to me there is a
deep mystery in bookmaking. How one thing is to follow another--and
another to lead to another--how everything is to culminate in marriage
or a broken heart, and not a bit of the whole to be true, I cannot
conceive; and as for poetry, it seems to me an absolute impossibility
to make verses rhyme. Can you tell me how it is done, Miss Melville?"

Elsie started. "No, I cannot--I cannot tell."

"You must ask Miss Rennie about poetry," said Mr. Malcolm; "she does
some very excellent things in that way."

"You perfidious creature, I see I must never tell you anything, for you
are sure to come out with it at all times and all places," said Miss
Rennie.

"It is a true bill then," said Mr. Brandon, bowing to the tenth muse.
"I cannot help wondering at you. I must not approach so near you, for
you are so far removed from my everyday prosaic sphere. I must take
shelter with Miss Melville, who knows nothing about the matter. I
cannot comprehend how people can make verses; it cannot be easy at any
time."

"It is sometimes easier than at other," said Miss Rennie. "If the
subject is good the words flow correspondingly fast."

"And what do you consider the best subject,--marrying or burying, love
or despair? I suppose