us, and wicked.

Now, in the mean time, Julia, on her side, had tried to open
communication through the only channel that offered itself. She did not
attempt it by means of Betsey, because, being a woman, she felt
instinctively that Betsey was not to be trusted. But there was only one
other to whom she was allowed to speak, except under a supervision as
complete as it was unacknowledged. That other was Mr. Humphreys. He
evinced a constant interest in her affairs, avowing that he always did
have a romantic desire to effect the union of suitable people, even
though it might pain his heart a little to see another more fortunate
than himself. Julia had given up all hope of communicating by letter,
and she could not bring herself to make any confessions to a man who had
such a smile and such eyes, but to a generous proposition of Mr.
Humphreys that he should see August and open the way for any
communication between them, she consented, scarcely concealing her
eagerness.

August was not in a mood to receive Humphreys kindly. He hated him by
intuition, and a liking for him had not been begotten by Betsey's
assurances that he was making headway with Julia. August was riding
astride a bag of corn on his way to mill, when Humphreys, taking a
walk, met him.

"A pleasant day, Mr. Wehle!"

"Yes," said August, with a courtesy as mechanical as Humphreys's smile.

The singing-master was rather pleased than otherwise to see that August
disliked him. It suited his purpose, just now to gall Wehle into saying
what he would not otherwise have said.

"I hear you are in trouble," he proceeded.

"How so?"

"Oh! I hear that Mrs. Anderson doesn't like Dutchmen." The smile now
seemed to have something of a sneer in it.

"I don't know that that is your affair," said August, all his
suspicions, by a sort of "resolution of force," changing into anger.

"Oh! I beg pardon," with a tone half-mocking. "I did not know but I
might help settle matters. I think I have Mrs. Anderson's confidence;
and I know that I have Miss Anderson's confidence in an unusual degree.
I think a great deal of her. And she thinks me _her friend_ at least. I
thought that there might be some little matters yet unsettled between
you two, and she suggested that maybe there might be something you would
like to say, and that if you would say it to me, it would be all the
same as if it were said to her. She considers that in the relation I
bear to her and the family, a me