checking her
in, I could not find in my heart to do it."

"Oh, if we could but find her! I'd take her in my arms, and we'd just
lie down and die together."

"Nay, don't speak so!" said Susan, gently; "for all that's come and gone,
she may turn right at last. Mary Magdalen did, you know."

"Eh! but I were nearer right about thee than Will. He thought you would
never look on him again if you knew about Lizzie. But thou'rt not a
Pharisee."

"I'm sorry he thought I could be so hard," said Susan in a low voice, and
colouring up. Then Mrs. Leigh was alarmed, and, in her motherly anxiety,
she began to fear lest she had injured Will in Susan's estimation.

"You see Will thinks so much of you--gold would not be good enough for
you to walk on, in his eye. He said you'd never look at him as he was,
let alone his being brother to my poor wench. He loves you so, it makes
him think meanly on everything belonging to himself, as not fit to come
near ye; but he's a good lad, and a good son. Thou'lt be a happy woman
if thou'lt have him, so don't let my words go against him--don't!"

But Susan hung her head, and made no answer. She had not known until now
that Will thought so earnestly and seriously about her; and even now she
felt afraid that Mrs. Leigh's words promised her too much happiness, and
that they could not be true. At any rate, the instinct of modesty made
her shrink from saying anything which might seem like a confession of her
own feelings to a third person. Accordingly she turned the conversation
on the child.

"I am sure he could not help loving Nanny," said she. "There never was
such a good little darling; don't you think she'd win his heart if he
knew she was his niece, and perhaps bring him to think kindly on his
sister?"

"I dunnot know," said Mrs. Leigh, shaking her head. "He has a turn in
his eye like his father, that makes me--He's right down good though. But
you see, I've never been a good one at managing folk; one severe look
turns me sick, and then I say just the wrong thing, I'm so fluttered. Now
I should like nothing better than to take Nancy home with me, but Tom
knows nothing but that his sister is dead, and I've not the knack of
speaking rightly to Will. I dare not do it, and that's the truth. But
you mun not think badly of Will. He's so good hissel, that he can't
understand how any one can do wrong; and, above all, I'm sure he loves
you dearly."

"I don't think I could part wit