ither can
disapprove, when tried by the standard of duty, and you need never be
afraid of losing a friend that is worth keeping."

It was three o'clock before the carriage of Mrs. Wilson arrived at the
rectory; and the time stole away insensibly in free and friendly
communications. Denbigh had joined modestly, and with the degree of
interest a stranger might be supposed to feel, in the occurrences of a
circle to which he was nearly a stranger; there was at times a slight
display of awkwardness, however, about both him and Mrs. Ives, for which
Mrs. Wilson easily accounted by recollections of his recent loss and the
scene they had all witnessed in that very room. This embarrassment escaped
the notice of the rest of the party. On the arrival of the carriage, Mrs.
Wilson took her leave.

"I like this Mr. Denbigh greatly," said Lord Chatterton, as they drove
from the door; "there is something strikingly natural and winning in his
manner."

"In his matter too, judging of the little we have seen of him," replied
Mrs. Wilson.

"Who is he, ma'am?"

"I rather suspect he is someway related to Mrs. Ives; her staying from
Bolton to-day must be owing to Mr. Denbigh, and as the doctor has just
gone he must be near enough to them to be neither wholly neglected nor yet
a tax upon their politeness. I rather wonder he did not go with them."

"I heard him tell Francis," remarked Emily, "that he could not think of
intruding, and he insisted on Mrs. Ives's going, but she had employments
to keep her at home."

The carriage soon reached an angle in the road where the highways between
Bolton Castle and Moseley Hall intersected each other, at a point on the
estate of the former. Mrs. Wilson stopped a moment to inquire after an
aged pensioner, who had lately met with a loss in business, which she was
fearful must have greatly distressed him. In crossing a ford in the little
river between his cottage and the market-town, the stream, which had been
swollen unexpectedly higher than usual by heavy rains, had swept away his
horse and cart loaded with the entire produce of his small field, and with
much difficulty he had saved even his own life. Mrs. Wilson had not had it
in her power until this moment to inquire particularly into the affair, or
to offer the relief she was ever ready to bestow on proper objects.
Contrary to her expectations, she found Humphreys in high spirits, showing
his delighted grand-children a new cart and horse which sto