n of business. He had
heard of the Widow Mildred--her unbounded wealth--her unrivalled beauty.
He knew of his father's daily visit to the favoured cottage, but he knew
no more; nor more would he have _cared_ to know had not his father, with a
devil's cunning, and with much mysteriousness, forbidden him to speak
about the lady, or to think of visiting her so long as she remained
amongst them. Such being the interdict, Michael was, of course, impatient
to seek out the hidden treasure, and determined to behold her. Delay
increased desire, and desire with him was equal to attainment. Whilst he
was busy in contriving a method for the production of the lovely widow,
his father, who had watched and waited for the moment that had come,
suddenly requested him to accompany him to Mrs Mildred's house--to dine
with that good lady, and to take leave of her before she departed from the
neighbourhood for ever. Michael did not need a second invitation. The
eagerness with which he listened to the first was a true joy for Abraham.
Margaret, be it understood, had not invited Michael. The first year of her
widowhood was drawing to a close, and she had resolved at length to remove
from the retreat in which she had been so long hidden from mankind. Her
youthful spirits had rebounded--were once more buoyant--solitude had done
its work--the physician was no longer needed. That she might gradually
approach the busy world again, she proposed to visit, for a time, a small
and pretty town, well known to her, on the eastern coast. The day was
fixed for her removal, and, just one week before, she invited Mr Allcraft
senior to a farewell dinner. She had not thought it necessary to include
in the invitation the younger gentleman, whom she had never seen, albeit
his father's constant and unlimited encomiums had made the _woman_ less
unwilling to receive than to invite the youth, in whom the graces and the
virtues of humanity were said to have their residence. And Allcraft was
aware of this too. For his head he would not have incurred the risk of
giving her offence. With half an eye he saw the danger was not worth the
speaking of. When I say that Michael never eat less food at a meal in his
life--never talked more volubly or better--never had been so thoroughly
entranced and happy--so lost to every thing but the consciousness of _her_
presence, of the hot blood tingling in his cheek--of the mad delight that
had leapt into his eyes and sparkled there, it wi