people.
These sisters were so happy together--I liked to see them, perhaps all
the more because I had neither brothers nor sisters of my own--I thought
it was an assurance of what they might be in other relations of life. I
suppose she will tackle that little spitfire of a dog which I inflicted
on them. May will lay her parting injunctions on Dora to plague herself
perpetually with the monster, and these will be like dying words to
Dora, she will sooner die herself than intermit a single harassing
attention. And it will be impossible for her to avoid many deprivations.
There are more partings to be faced in the future. Millar is an old man,
even if he could hope to pay up the bank's calls and make some provision
for his widow and daughters. It was a pity poor Dora could not care for
me, when there need have been no partings where we two were concerned,
save that material separation of death which is quoted in the marriage
service. She would not have believed, nor I either, that it could touch
the spiritual side of the question and the love which is worth having,
that is God-like and belongs to immortality. I might have done what I
could if Dora had married me, so far as the other girls would have let
me, to serve as a buffer between the family and the adversity which I am
afraid not all their high spirit and gallant fight will hold entirely at
bay. It was not to be, and there is an end on't. I wonder where I found
the heart, and the cheek too for that matter, to bully Dora about May,
though, Heaven knows, I spoke no more than the truth. Well, she has her
revenge, and I am punished for it. It cut me up at the time to hurt her,
and the recollection of having contradicted and pained so sweet and
gentle a creature is very much as if I had dealt a lamb a blow or wrung
a pigeon's neck--on principle."

Half an hour afterwards Mrs. Millar bustled into her drawing-room with
an expression of mingled annoyance and excited expectation on her still
comely face.

"My dear Dora, I am so sorry; he gave his name to Jane, and she has told
me who has been calling in my absence. I wish I had not left you by
yourself. But who was to guess that Tom Robinson would call this
afternoon? It must have been exceedingly disagreeable for you."

"I don't know," said Dora, vaguely and desperately; "we must meet
sometimes when there is nobody by, if we continue to live in the same
town. I wish you would not mind it for me, mother, and keep on trying