erious thoughts of the law. Heigh
ho! Good night.'

John grieved over the disappointed tone so unusual in the buoyant Percy,
and revolved various devices for finding employment for him; but was
obliged to own that a man of his age, whatever his powers, when once
set aside from the active world, finds it difficult to make for himself
another career. It accounted to John for the degree of depression which
he detected in Theodora's manner, which, at all times rather grave, did
not often light up into animation, and never into her quaint moods of
eccentric determination; she was helpful and kind, but submissive and
indifferent to what passed around her.

In fact, Theodora felt the disappointment of which Percy complained,
more uniformly than he did himself. He thought no more of it when
conversation was going on, when a service was to be done to any living
creature, or when he was playing with the children; but the sense of his
vexation always hung upon her; perhaps the more because she felt that
her own former conduct deserved no happiness, and that his future was
involved in hers. She tried to be patient, but she could not be gay.

Her scheme had been for Percy to take a farm, but he answered that he
had lived too much abroad, and in towns, to make agriculture succeed in
England. In the colonies perhaps,--but her involuntary exclamation of
dismay at the idea of letting him go alone, had made him at once abandon
the project. When, however, she saw how enforced idleness preyed on him,
and with how little spirit he turned to his literary pursuits, she began
to think it her duty to persuade him to go; and to this she had on this
very night, with a great effort, made up her mind.

'There is space in his composition for more happiness than depends on
me,' said she to Violet. 'Exertion, hope, trust in me will make him
happy; and he shall not waste his life in loitering here for my sake.'

'Dear Theodora, I fear it will cost you a great deal.'

'Never mind,' said Theodora; 'I am more at peace than I have been for
years. Percy has suffered enough through me already.'

Violet looked up affectionately at her fine countenance, and gave one
of the mute caresses that Theodora liked from her, though she could have
borne them from no one else.

Theodora smiled, sighed, and then, shaking off the dejected tone, said,
'Well, I suppose you will have a letter from Wrangerton to tell you it
is settled. I wonder if you will go to the we