o make against her own mother; but it is one I should have
died sooner than come to if she had ever treated me as a daughter."

Her good-natured and affectionate father took her in his arms and kissed
her.

"My own darling Maria," said he, "I could forgive your mother all her
domestic violence and outrage had she acted with the affection of a
mother towards you. She has a heart only for one individual, and that is
her son Harry, there."

"As for me," said Charles, "wherever my father goes, I, too, my dear
Maria, will accompany him."

"You hear that, Harry," said Mrs. Lindsay; "you see now they are in a
league--in a conspiracy against your happiness and mine;--but think of
their selfishness and cunning--it is the girl's property they want."

"Perish the property," exclaimed Charles indignantly. "I will now
mention a fact which I have hitherto never breathed--Alice Goodwin and I
were, I may say, betrothed before ever she dreamed of possessing it; and
if I held back since that time, I did so from the principles of a man
of honor, lest she might imagine that I renewed our intimacy, after the
alienation of the families, from mercenary motives."

"You're a fine fellow, Charley," said his father; "you're a fine fellow,
and you deserve her and her property, if it was ten times what it is."

"Don't you be disheartened, Harry," said his mother; "I have a better
wife in my eye for you--a wife that will bring you connection, and that
is Lord Bilberry's niece."

"Yes," said her husband, ironically, "a man with fifty thousand acres
of mountain. Faith, Harry, you will be a happy man, and may feed on
bilberries all your life; but upon little else, unless you can pick the
spare bones of an old maid who has run herself into an asthma in the
unsuccessful sport of husband-hunting."

"She will inherit her uncle's property, Lindsay."

"Yes, she will inherit the heather and the bilberries. But go in God's
name; work out that project; there is nobody here disposed to hinder
you. Only I hope you will ask us to the wedding."

"Mother," said Woodward, affectionately taking her hand and giving it a
significant squeeze; "mother, you must excuse me for what I am about
to say"--another squeeze, and a glance which was very well
understood--"upon my honor, mother, I must give my verdict for the
present"--another squeeze--"against you. You--must be kinder to Charles
and Maria, and you must not treat my father with such disrespect and
harshn