ive, soothing, and mourning her as deeply, doubtful
as she had proved herself to be, as he had loved her fondly when he
believed her honest. It was a curious mental condition for a man to
cherish, but it satisfied him, and his regret was not robbed of its
pathos by knowledge.

Now that the four years were completed, the widower had to return to
his desolate home and make the best he could of the fragments of peace
and happiness left to him. Leam was nineteen: it was time for her to
be taken from school and given the protection of her father's house.
It went against the man's heart to have her, but he was compelled, if
he wished to stand well with his friends, and he hoped that the girl
would be found improved from these years of discipline and training,
and be rational and like other people. Wherefore he came home one
dry dull day in October, and the neighborhood welcomed him, if not as
their prodigal returned, yet as their lunatic restored to his right
mind.

During these four years a few changes had taken place at North Aston.
Carry Fairbairn had married--not Frank Harrowby: he had found a rich
wife, not in the least to his personal taste, but greatly to his
profit; and Carry, after having cried a good deal for a month, had
consoled herself with a young clergyman from the North, whom she loved
quite as much as if she had never fancied Frank at all, and spoilt in
the first months by such submission as caused her to repent for all
the years of her life after.

The things of the rectory were much in their old state. Little Fina,
madame's child, was there under Mrs. Birkett's motherly care; but
as the child was nearly six years old now, the good creature's
instinctive love for infants was wearing out, and she was often heard
to say how much she wished she could have kept Fina always a baby,
and, sighing, how difficult she was to manage! She was an exceedingly
pretty little girl, with fair skin, fair hair and dark eyes--willful
of course, and spoilt of course; the only one in the house who took
her in hand to correct being Adelaide. And as she took her in hand too
smartly, Mrs. Birkett generally interfered, and the servants combined
to screen her; the result being that the little one was mistress of
the situation, after the manner of willful children, and made every
one more or less anxious and uncomfortable as her return for their
care.

Alick Corfield was the rector's curate. On the whole, this was the
most importa