hristian has bestowed--' But I heard no more, owing to Martha chasing
me out of the shop.

"To reach the old church we had to pass the old ruffian's door. Martha
went in; I sauntered on, and she soon came after me, with the key in
her hand. 'But,' said she, 'he told me if my name hadn't been Dence he
wouldn't trust me with it, though I went on my bended knees.'

"We opened the church-door, and I spent an hour inside, examining and
copying inscriptions for you. But, when I came to take up a loose brass,
to try and decipher it, Martha came screaming at me, 'Oh, put it down!
put it down! I pledged my word to Squire you should not touch them
brasses.' What could I do, mother? The poor girl was in an agony. This
old ruffian has, somehow, bewitched her, and her father too, into a sort
of superstitious devotion that I can't help respecting, unreasonable as
it is. So I dropped the brass, and took to reflecting. And I give you my
thoughts.

"What a pity and a shame that a building of this size should lie idle!
If it was mine I would carefully remove all the monuments, and the dead
bones, et cetera, to the new church, and turn this old building into a
factory, or a set of granaries, or something useful. It is as great a
sin to waste bricks and mortar as it is bread," etc.

"MY DEAR HARRY,--Your dear sprightly letters delight me, and reconcile
me to the separation; for I see that your health is improving every day,
by your gayety; and this makes me happy, though I can not quite be gay.

"Your last letter was very amusing, yet, somehow, it set me thinking,
long and sadly; and some gentle remarks from Dr. Amboyne (he called
yesterday) have also turned my mind the same way. Time has softened the
terrible blow that estranged my brother and myself, and I begin to
ask myself, was my own conduct perfect? was my brother's quite without
excuse? I may have seen but one side, and been too hasty in judging him.
At all events, I would have you, who are a man, think for yourself, and
not rush into too harsh a view of that unhappy quarrel. Dearest, family
quarrels are family misfortunes: why should they go down to another
generation? You frighten me, when you wonder that Nathan and his family
(I had forgotten his name was Dence) are attached to Mr. Raby. Why, with
all his faults, my brother is a chivalrous, high-minded gentleman; his
word is his bond, and he never deserts a friend, however humble; and I
have heard our dear father say that,