nd to form his notions
according to the standard of things there. I think a republic is very
demoralizing.'

'Is the standard of morals lower here?' inquired the younger lady,
demurely.

'I am not speaking of _morals_, in the usual sense. Of course, that--
But there is a little too much freedom here. And besides,--I wanted
Pitt to be a true Church of England man.'

'Isn't he that?'

'Oh yes, I have no doubt he is now; but he had formed some associations
I was afraid of. With my son's peculiar character, I thought there
might be danger. I rely on you, Betty,' said Mrs. Dallas, smiling, 'to
remove the last vestige.'

The young lady gave a glance of quick, keen curiosity and
understanding, in which sparkled a little amusement. 'What can I do?'
she asked demurely.

'Bewitch him, as you do everybody.'

'Bewitch him, and hand him over to you!' she remarked.

'No,' said Mrs. Dallas; 'not necessarily. You must see him, before you
can know what you would like to do with him.'

'Do I understand, then? He is supposed to be in some danger of lapsing
from the true faith'--

'Oh, no, my dear! I did not say that. I meant only, if he had stayed in
America. It seems to me there is a general loosening of all bonds here.
Boys and girls do their own way.'

'Was it only the general spirit of the air, Mrs. Dallas, or was it a
particular influence, that you feared?'

'Well--both,' said Mrs. Dallas, again applying her knitting-needle
under her cap.

The younger lady was silent a few minutes; going on with her embroidery.

'This is getting to be very interesting,' she remarked.

'It is very interesting to me,' replied the mother, with a thoughtful
look. 'For, as I told you, Pitt is a very fast friend, and persistent
in all his likings and dislikings. Here he had none but the company of
dissenters; and I did not want him to get _in_ with people of that
persuasion.'

'Is there much society about here? I fancied not.'

'No society, for him. Country people--farmers--people of that stamp.
Nothing else.'

'I should have thought, dear Mrs. Dallas, that _you_ would have been
quite a sufficient counteraction to temptation from such a source?'

Mrs. Dallas hesitated. 'Boys will be boys,' she said.

'But he is not a boy now?'

'He is twenty-four.'

'Not a boy, certainly. But do you know, that is an age when men are
very hard to manage? It is easier earlier, or later.'

'Not difficult to you at any time,' said the other flat