e
when he had only wretchedness to offer? He thought of her till she
became purely a being of his imagination; and, being all that his
imagination could paint her, she became too much for him to hope ever
to possess.

It is difficult to say what, at this early stage of their acquaintance,
were Miss Manners' feelings towards Jones. Certain it is, however, that
she had conceived for him a kind of romantic interest. She was eccentric
in her disposition, but fervent in her attachments; and, without knowing
much about him, she had, partly from compassion and partly, perhaps,
from a secret love of being regarded singular, uniformly advocated his
cause whenever occasion offered.

One evening, two or three young girls were assembled at the manse. They
were the daughters of a person of some consideration in the place, and
Miss Manners' occasional associates. After tea, Mr. Manners withdrew to
his studies; and, as the evening had set in rather cold, the ladies drew
near the fire to converse.

"Come, now," said Miss Manners, as she stirred the fire till it blazed
and crackled right merrily, "let us make ourselves comfortable and
happy. Emily, here"--sitting down beside the dullest of her
guests--"looks as sad as if she had just lost her sweetheart."

"Oh, she'll be thinking of Willie Green!" said another of the girls.

A third giggled. Emily looked sad; and Miss Manners cheered her by
remarking that Willie was a very decent fellow.

"He's no sweetheart of mine," said Emily, indifferently, at the same
time glancing up to the ceiling.

An enormous "Good gracious!" or some such expression, rushed to the eyes
of another of the girls; but, as Miss Manners had checked her, she did
not get telling how often she had seen her and Willie together, and how
well known it was that the day was all but fixed.

"Now, don't tease her," said Miss Manners. "I see we must change the
subject."

Accordingly, Willie Green was dismissed, and William Jones introduced.
Every one, except Miss Manners, had something to say against him--some
frightful story to relate in which he had acted a principal part. One
told how, on one evening--darker than all other evenings--he had been
seen lounging in the neighbourhood of such and such a farm; and how,
next morning, one of the farmer's children died. Another related how he
had been heard to rave to himself when he thought no one was near; and
many were the extraordinary casualties in which he was declare