to accommodate her spirit to her father's spirit.
But she was a Hotspur; and though she could be generous, she could
not yield. And then the hold of a child upon the father is so much
stronger than that of the father on the child! Our eyes are set in
our face, and are always turned forward. The glances that we cast
back are but occasional.

And so the sunshine was banished from the house of Humblethwaite, and
the days were as black as the night.

CHAPTER XVII.

"LET US TRY."

Things went on thus at Humblethwaite for three weeks, and Sir Harry
began to feel that he could endure it no longer. He had expected to
have heard again from Mr. Boltby, but no letter had come. Mr. Boltby
had suggested to him something of starving out the town, and he had
expected to be informed before this whether the town were starved
out or not. He had received an indignant and grandiloquent letter
from his cousin, of which as yet he had taken no notice. He had taken
no notice of the letter, although it had been written to decline a
proposal of very great moment made by himself. He felt that in these
circumstances Mr. Boltby ought to have written to him. He ought to
have been told what was being done. And yet he had left Mr. Boltby
with a feeling which made it distasteful to him to ask further
questions from the lawyer on the subject. Altogether his position was
one as disagreeable and painful as it well could be.

But at last, in regard to his own private life with his daughter, he
could bear it no longer. The tenderness of his heart was too much for
his pride, and he broke down in his resolution to be stern and silent
with her till all this should have passed by them. She was so much
more to him than he was to her! She was his all in all;--whereas
Cousin George was hers. He was the happier at any rate in this, that
he would never be forced to despise where he loved.

"Emily," he said to her at last, "why is it that you are so changed
to me?"

"Papa!"

"Are you not changed? Do you not know that everything about the house
is changed?"

"Yes, Papa."

"And why is it so? I do not keep away from you. You used to come to
me every day. You never come near me now."

She hesitated for a moment with her eyes turned to the ground, and
then as she answered him she looked him full in the face. "It is
because I am always thinking of my cousin George."

"But why should that keep us apart, Emily? I wish that it were not
so; but why sh