ome upon me painfully from time to time."

"What do you mean?" said Charles. "The whole colour of your future
life! You surely do not mean that you will not marry?"

"That is what I was thinking of, certainly," said Henry, in a very low
voice.

"My dear friend," said Charles, "this is the scruple of a sick man's
brain. Put it out of your head for the present, I advise you, and I
will answer for it that, six months hence, you will feel very
differently. The woman would but little deserve you who could raise
such an objection; and you have just as much power now as ever to make a
wife happy."

Charles wished to turn the conversation, for he saw that his friend was
agitated; but he could think of nothing to say at the moment, except
about Miss Auchinvole, and that was the only subject which would not do.
At length he said, "You must not let me weary you with talking. You
know I cannot tell what you are equal to, and Mrs Monteath will never
forgive me if I set you back in the least. Had I not better leave you?"

"O no! do not go!" said Monteath; "you do not know how strong I am. I
shall sleep in the afternoon, but I hope to have you with me all day
besides. I do not scruple saying so, for I cannot conceive that you
will find amusement elsewhere in a place like this."

"If I could," said Charles, "I am not much inclined for it to-day.
Conversation with a friend is a great cordial in times of anxiety, and I
own that I am anxious now."

He said this for the purpose of drawing his friend's attention from a
subject which appeared to agitate him too much. Charles was not wrong
in expecting his ready sympathy. Isabella's illness was mentioned, and
Monteath forgot himself in his anxiety for Charles. He asked many
questions about the girls and Alfred.

"How old is Alfred?"

"Nearly eleven."

"What do you intend him for?"

"We have no present intentions about his future destination," said
Charles. "He will remain at school till he is fifteen; so we need be in
no hurry about it."

"Then your sister will continue on her present plan till that time?"

"Yes," replied Charles; "for Harriet will not be old enough to go out
before five years from this time. Isabella wishes to be independent in
two years, and I think she will be well qualified; but it will be a
grievous thing to Jane to part with her."

"It must, indeed," said Monteath. "You know I have seen your sister
Jane, more than once, and she fixed my a