h; I am all abroad! I can
hardly fix my thoughts, and I don't know what to do, since here I must
be, and I can't either be silent, or sit up in my own room.'

'Certainly not,' said she, smiling; 'there are duties of society which
you owe even to us dangerous people.'

'No, no: don't misunderstand me. The fault is in myself. If it was
not for that, I could learn nothing but good,' said Guy, speaking very
eagerly, distressed at her answer.

'I believe I understand you,' said she, marvelling at the serious,
ascetic temper, coupled with the very high animal spirits. 'For your
comfort, I believe the unsettled feeling you complain of is chiefly the
effect of novelty. You have led so very retired a life, that a lively
family party is to you what dissipation would be to other people: and,
as you must meet with the world some time or other, it is better the
first encounter with should be in this comparatively innocent form. Go
on watching yourself, and it will do you no harm.'

Yes, but if I find it does me harm? It would be cowardly to run away,
and resistance should be from within. Yet, on the other hand, there is
the duty of giving up, wrenching oneself from all that has temptation in
it.'

'There is nothing,' said Mrs Edmonstone, 'that has no temptation in it;
but I should think the rule was plain. If a duty such as that of living
among us for the present, and making yourself moderately agreeable,
involves temptations, they must be met and battled from within. In the
same way, your position in society, with all its duties, could not be
laid aside because it is full of trial. Those who do such things are
fainthearted, and fail in trust in Him who fixed their station, and
finds room for them to deny themselves in the trivial round and common
task. It is pleasure involving no duty that should be given up, if we
find it liable to lead us astray.'

'I see,' answered Guy, musingly; 'and this reading comes naturally, and
is just what I wanted to keep the pleasant things from getting a full
hold of me. I ought to have thought of it sooner, instead of dawdling a
whole month in idleness. Then all this would not have happened. I hope
it will be very tough.'

'You have no great love for Latin and Greek?'

'Oh!' cried Guy, eagerly, 'to be sure I delight in Homer and the
Georgics, and plenty more. What splendid things there are in these old
fellows! But, I never liked the drudgery part of the affair; and now if
I am to be set to