chael parted for the time. The former, however, was a
constant visitor at Dame Lanreath's cottage. He did not disguise his
admiration for Nelly Trefusis. She might have been flattered, for he
was a good-looking, fair-spoken youth, and as he dressed well and had
always plenty of money in his pocket, he was looked upon as one of the
principal young men in the neighbourhood.

Still Nelly did not consider him equal to Michael.

Time went on: she was becoming a young woman, and Michael was no longer
the little boy she had looked upon in her early days as her brother.
He, too, had ceased to treat her with the affectionate familiarity he
used to do when he supposed her to be his sister. Still he looked upon
her as the being of all others whom he was bound to love, and protect,
and support to the utmost of his power. Had, however, any young man
whom he esteemed, and whom Nelly liked, appeared and offered to become
her husband, he would possibly have advised her to accept him, though he
might have felt that the light of his home had departed. Indeed, he was
so occupied that the thought of marrying at some future time had never
entered his head.

Though Nelly gave Eban Cowan no encouragement, he still continued,
whenever he could get a fair pretence, to visit the cottage, and never
failed to walk by her side when he met her out. Generally he came
saying that he wished to see Michael, whom he always spoke of as his
most intimate friend, though Michael did not consider himself so. He
knew too much about Eban to desire his friendship; indeed, he doubted
very much that Eban really cared for him.

"Your friend Eban has been here again to-day," said Nelly, one evening
when Michael returned home late. "He waited and waited, and though I
told him I could not say when you would come back, he still sat on,
declaring that he must see you, as he wanted you to go somewhere with
him, or do something, though what it was he would not tell us. At last,
as it grew dark, he was obliged to be off, and neither granny nor I
invited him to stay longer."

"I am glad he did go," answered Michael; "but do not call him my friend.
If he was a true friend he would give me good advice and try to lead me
aright; instead of that he gives me bad advice, and tries to lead me to
do what I know is wrong. There--you now know what I think of Eban
Cowan."

"And you think very rightly," observed Dame Lanreath. "I do not trust
him, and perhaps you kno