ugh to
ruin him. Upright, honorable conduct is often its own reward. Now, our
little red-haired friend can put his manners in a strait-jacket for a
time and accommodate himself to the whims of the gentry; and he is not
squeamish in money-matters, so that he gets money, and enough of it."

"James is very contented here, and he likes better to live in the
country than in the town: so do I, but I must say I could wish him to
achieve reputation; it may be wrong, but I wish it;" and her eyes
sparkled.

"Wrong!" said Miss Robertson: "it's perfectly right, and what he should
do and will do; only, as I said, I think it a pity he settled here."

"I like reputation," said Mary, "because it is the result of great
ability well and thoroughly used: I hope mine is not a vulgar ambition."

"Oh dear, no!" said Miss Robertson; "but a quack has often a far greater
reputation than an honest man."

"Well, but people are always known sooner or later."

"Yes, sooner or later," echoed Miss Robertson: "I hope your brother will
be known sooner."

"Do you know," said Mary, "we are so happy as we are that it is a shame
to wish for anything better or different: I really don't know two
happier people."

"Just allow me to be a third: I am very happy too. The idea of calling
this world a vale of tears!"

"By the way," said Mary, "did you see the Ladies Moor ride past to-day?
It is the first time I have seen them. I think I never saw such a face
as the youngest has: they say her sister, the duchess of Dover, is a
great beauty, but surely she can't be more lovely than Lady Louisa."

"Yes, I met them when I was walking, and I was as much struck as you: I
am sure they don't get their beauty from their father: he is a
coarse-looking man."

"I don't know where they get it, but they have it, certainly," said
Mary: "that girl will drive some people crazy yet."

"Do you think beauty has so much power?" asked Miss Robertson.

"Oh, power! I know nothing like it: it is an intense pleasure to me to
see a face like Lady Louisa's."

"And yet beauty has not brought happiness to the duchess of Dover."

"We need not moralize about it," said Mary. "She is unhappy, not because
of her beauty, but in spite of it; besides, though she and her husband
don't get on together, she may have other sources of happiness. It would
give me great happiness to know that people got pleasure by merely
looking at me."

"Her Grace of Dover may have got accustomed to tha