ilanthropy and crotchets, will rub me
up and do me good; one goes to sleep sometimes,' he finished, rather
mournfully, and then he walked away in the darkness, and I stood for a
minute to watch him.

It seemed to me that Max was a little different this evening. He was
always kind, always cheerful; he never wrapped himself up in gloomy
reserve like other people, however depressed or ill at ease he might be;
but Mrs. Drabble was right, he was certainly thinner, and there was an
anxious careworn look about his face when he was not speaking. I was
certain, too, that his cheerfulness and ready flow of conversation were
not without effort. I had asked him once if he were quite well, and he
had looked at me in evident astonishment.

'Perfectly well, thank you,--in a state of rude health. Nothing ever ails
me. Why do you ask?' But I evaded this question, for I knew Max hated to
be watched; and, after all, what right had I to intrude into his private
anxieties? doubtless he had plenty of these, like other men. The
management of a large parish was on his shoulders, and he was too
conscientious and hard-working to spare himself; but somehow the shadow
lying deep down in Max's honest brown eyes haunted me as I unlatched the
cottage door.

I heard Nathaniel's voice in the kitchen, and went in to bid him and his
mother good-night. Mrs. Barton was not there, however, but, to my
chagrin, Mr. Hamilton occupied her seat. He looked up with a rather
quizzical glance as I entered: he and Nathaniel had the round table
between them, strewn with books and papers; Nathaniel was writing, and
Mr. Hamilton was sitting opposite to him.

'I beg your pardon,' I said hurriedly. 'I thought Mrs. Barton was here.'

'She has gone to bed,' returned Mr. Hamilton coolly: 'my friend Nathaniel
and I are hard at work, as you see. Do you know anything of mathematics,
Miss Garston?--no, you shake your head--' I do not know what more he
would have said, but I escaped with a quick good-night.

As I went upstairs I made a resolution to avoid the kitchen in future:
I might at any moment stumble upon Mr. Hamilton. I had forgotten that he
gave Nathaniel lessons sometimes in the evening. What a ubiquitous mortal
this man appeared, here, there, and everywhere! It had given me rather a
shock to see him so comfortably domiciled in Mrs. Barton's cosy kitchen;
he looked as much at home there as in Uncle Max's study. How bright
Nathaniel had looked as he raised his head