----, to hurry to his lawyer's with the recovered document, it was but
for an hour. He returned, and did not quit her for several days. And in
that time he became sensible of her astonishing, and, to him, it seemed
miraculous, improvement in all that renders Mind the equal to Mind;
miraculous, for he guessed not the Influence that makes miracles its
commonplace. And now he listened attentively to her when she conversed;
he read with her (though reading was never much in his vocation), his
unfastidious ear was charmed with her voice, when it sang those simple
songs; and his manner (impressed alike by gratitude for the signal
service rendered to him, and by the discovery that Fanny was no longer
a child, whether in mind or years), though not less gentle than before,
was less familiar, less superior, more respectful, and more earnest.
It was a change which raised her in her own self-esteem. Ah, those were
rosy days for Fanny!

A less sagacious judge of character than Lilburne would have formed
doubts perhaps of the nature of Philip's interest in Fanny. But he
comprehended at once the fraternal interest which a man like Philip
might well take in a creature like Fanny, if commended to his care by a
protector whose doom was so awful as that which had ingulfed the life
of William Gawtrey. Lilburne had some thoughts at first of claiming
her, but as he had no power to compel her residence with him, he did not
wish, on consideration, to come again in contact with Philip upon ground
so full of humbling recollections as that still overshadowed by the
images of Gawtrey and Mary. He contented himself with writing an artful
letter to Simon, stating that from Fanny's residence with Mr. Gawtrey,
and from her likeness to her mother, whom he had only seen as a child,
he had conjectured the relationship she bore to himself; and having
obtained other evidence of that fact (he did not say what or where), he
had not scrupled to remove her to his roof, meaning to explain all to
Mr. Simon Gawtrey the next day. This letter was accompanied by one from
a lawyer, informing Simon Gawtrey that Lord Lilburne would pay L200. a
year, in quarterly payments, to his order; and that he was requested to
add, that when the young lady he had so benevolently reared came of age,
or married, an adequate provision would be made for her. Simon's mind
blazed up at this last intelligence, when read to him, though he neither
comprehended nor sought to know why Lord Lil