grief burst forth again.
'Does he think that can make up to me for my mother? How silly he must
think me! Yet he is kind and tries to please me still, though I am so
troublesome! Dear, dear Arthur!'

She took it back upon her lap, and tried to admire, but her heart failed
her; and she could not look at it till the sound of his entrance revived
her; she felt as if she had been injuring him, and recalling her smiles,
met him with what he thought delighted gratitude.

He was relieved to find the late subject blown over, and only wishing to
keep it out of her mind, he invited her to take a walk.

Violet had begun to dread his walks, for he was a loiterer, apt to go
further and stay out longer than he intended, and she could not bear
to tease him by hints of fatigue; but to-day she could not demur at
anything he asked, and she only observed that they had better not go
far, as they had an engagement for the evening.

At first the air and his attention did her good; but when she saw
Captain Fitzhugh approaching, she knew that Arthur's arm was the only
further use she should have of him, and there would be an endless
sauntering and talk about horses or fishing, while he would all the time
fancy himself going home.

The consequence was, that she was obliged to go at once to bed on coming
in, and was declared by Arthur to have been very silly never to have
mentioned her fatigue; while Sarah, bestowing grim and sour looks upon
them both, attended on her with the most assiduous and minute care.
Arthur was greatly concerned, and very unwilling to go to the party
alone, but Violet persuaded him, and he promised to return early; then
found the evening pleasant, and never knew how time went, while she was
lying awake, imagining that something dreadful had happened to him, and
mourning over her grievances.

The effects of that over-fatigue did not pass away, and she was forced
to give up all evening engagements. He meant to be kind, but was too
ignorant and inconsiderate not to do her as much harm as good. One day
he almost overwhelmed her with attentions, the next left her to herself.
He offered to refuse all invitations for her sake, but it ended in
her spending more than half her evenings alone; and when the horse was
wanted for him in the evening, she lost her drive. Very soon she fell
out of the habit of going out, for now that she was no companion for his
long rambles, he found other ways of disposing of his afternoons; and