the attempt, and we will not be cast down because it
has not succeeded."

There were, probably, growing up in each sister's heart, secret
unacknowledged feelings of relief, that their plan had not succeeded.
Yes! a dull sense of relief that their cherished project had been tried
and had failed. For that house, which was to be regarded as an
occasional home for their brother, could hardly be a fitting residence
for the children of strangers. They had, in all likelihood, become
silently aware that his habits were such as to render his society at
times most undesirable. Possibly, too, they had, by this time, heard
distressing rumours concerning the cause of that remorse and agony of
mind, which at times made him restless and unnaturally merry, at times
rendered him moody and irritable.

In January, 1845, Charlotte says:--"Branwell has been quieter and less
irritable, on the whole, this time than he was in summer. Anne is, as
usual, always good, mild, and patient." The deep-seated pain which he
was to occasion to his relations had now taken a decided form, and
pressed heavily on Charlotte's health and spirits. Early in this year,
she went to H. to bid good-bye to her dear friend "Mary," who was leaving
England for Australia.

Branwell, I have mentioned, had obtained the situation of a private
tutor. Anne was also engaged as governess in the same family, and was
thus a miserable witness to her brother's deterioration of character at
this period. Of the causes of this deterioration I cannot speak; but the
consequences were these. He went home for his holidays reluctantly,
stayed there as short a time as possible, perplexing and distressing them
all by his extraordinary conduct--at one time in the highest spirits, at
another, in the deepest depression--accusing himself of blackest guilt
and treachery, without specifying what they were; and altogether evincing
an irritability of disposition bordering on insanity.

Charlotte and Emily suffered acutely from his mysterious behaviour. He
expressed himself more than satisfied with his situation; he was
remaining in it for a longer time than he had ever done in any kind of
employment before; so that for some time they could not conjecture that
anything there made him so wilful, and restless, and full of both levity
and misery. But a sense of something wrong connected with him, sickened
and oppressed them. They began to lose all hope in his future career. He
was no