liated him bitterly
to think that all his religious zeal had proved in her regard but the
empty crackling of a fire of thorns. No matter what may be a youth's
sentiment for girlhood, he never likes it to be witness of anything
disparaging to his sturdy resolution and manly purpose. But Adele had
seen him shake like a reed under the deepest emotions that could give
tone to character; and in his mortification at the thought, he
transferred to her a share of the resentment he felt against himself. It
was a relief to treat her with a dignified coolness, and to meet all her
tender inquiries, which she did not forbear, with an icy assurance of
manner that was more than half affected,--yet not unkind, but
assiduously and intensely and provokingly civil.

Seeing this, the Doctor and Miss Eliza had given over any fear of a
possibly dangerous interest on the part of Reuben; and yet keen
observers might well have scented a danger in this very studied
indifference, if they reflected that its motive lay exclusively in a
mortified pride. We are not careful to conceal our mortifications from
those whose regard we rate humbly.

At any rate, it happened, that, with the coming of the autumn months,
Reuben, still floating drearily on a sea of religious speculation, and
veering more and more into open mockery of the beliefs of all about him,
grew weary of his affectations with respect to Adele. He fretted under
the kindly manner with which she met his august civilities. They did not
wound her sensibilities, as he hoped they might have done. Either this
disappointment or the need of relief provoked a change of tactics. With
a sudden zeal that was half earnest and half a freak of vanity, he
devoted himself to Adele. The father's sympathy with him was just now
dead; that of the aunt had never been kindled to such a degree as to
meet his craving; with the Elderkins he was reluctant to unfold his
opinions so far as to demand sympathy. As for Adele, if he could light
up again the sentiment which he once saw beaming in her face, he could
at least find in it a charming beguilement of his unrest. She had a
passion for flowers: every day he gathered for her some floral gift;
every day she thanked him with a kindness that meant only kindness. She
had a passion for poetry: every day he read to her such as he knew she
must admire; every day she thanked him with a warmth upon which he could
build no hopes.

Both the Doctor and Miss Eliza were disturb