inary achievement. A great number
of our old maids may trace their solitude and their celibacy to the very
questionable gift of such beauty, and the dispositions which usually
accompany it. She was tall, and had now grown thin, and her features had
become sharpened by ill-temper into those of a flesh-less, angular-faced
vixen. Altogether she was a faithful exponent of her own evil and
intolerable disposition; and it was said that she had inherited that and
the "unlucky eye" from a family that was said to have I been deservedly
unpopular, and equally unscrupulous in their resentments.

"Well, Harry," said she, after the warmhearted ebullition of feeling
produced by his appearance had subsided, "so you have returned to us at
last; but indeed, you return now to a blank and dismal prospect. Miss
Goodwin's adder tongue has charmed the dotage of your silly old uncle to
some purpose for herself."

"Confound it, Jenny," said her husband, "let the young man breathe, at
least, before you bring up that eternal subject. Is not the matter over
and decided and where is the use of your making both yourself and us
unhappy by discussing it?"

"It may be decided, but it is not over, Lindsay," she replied; "don't
imagine it: I shall pursue the Goodwins, especially that sorceress,
Alice, with a vengeance that will annul the will, and circumvent those
who wheedled him into the making of it. My curse upon them all, as it
will be!"

"Harry, when you become better acquainted with your mother," said his
step-father, "you will get sick of this. Have you breakfasted; for that
is more to the point?"

"I have, sir," replied the other; "and you would scarcely guess where;"
and here he smiled and glanced significantly at his mother.

"Why, I suppose," said Lindsay, "in whatever inn you stopped at."

"No," he replied; "I was obliged to seek shelter from the storm last
night, and where do you think I found it?"

"Heaven knows. Where?"

"Why, with your friend and neighbor, Mr. Goodwin."

"No friend, Harry," said his mother; "don't say that."

"I slept there last night," he proceeded, "and breakfasted there this
morning, and nothing could exceed the cordiality and kindness of my
reception."

"Did they know who you were?" asked his mother, with evident interest.

"Not till this morning, at breakfast."

"Well," said she again, "when they heard it?"

"Why, their attention and kindness even redoubled," replied her son;
"and as for Miss Goo