ed punctually."

"If you please."

"Hortense will be ready to shed tears. She is tenderhearted on the
subject of her pupil; yet she reproaches you sometimes for obeying your
uncle's injunctions too literally. Affection, like love, will be unjust
now and then."

And Caroline made no answer to this observation; for indeed her heart
was troubled, and to her eyes she would have raised her handkerchief if
she had dared. If she had dared, too, she would have declared how the
very flowers in the garden of Hollow's Cottage were dear to her; how the
little parlour of that house was her earthly paradise; how she longed to
return to it, as much almost as the first woman, in her exile, must have
longed to revisit Eden. Not daring, however, to say these things, she
held her peace; she sat quiet at Robert's side, waiting for him to say
something more. It was long since this proximity had been hers--long
since his voice had addressed her; could she, with any show of
probability, even of possibility, have imagined that the meeting gave
him pleasure, to her it would have given deep bliss. Yet, even in doubt
that it pleased, in dread that it might annoy him, she received the
boon of the meeting as an imprisoned bird would the admission of
sunshine to its cage. It was of no use arguing, contending against the
sense of present happiness; to be near Robert was to be revived.

Miss Keeldar laid down the papers.

"And are you glad or sad for all these menacing tidings?" she inquired
of her tenant.

"Not precisely either; but I certainly am instructed. I see that our
only plan is to be firm. I see that efficient preparation and a resolute
attitude are the best means of averting bloodshed."

He then inquired if she had observed some particular paragraph, to which
she replied in the negative, and he rose to show it to her. He continued
the conversation standing before her. From the tenor of what he said, it
appeared evident that they both apprehended disturbances in the
neighbourhood of Briarfield, though in what form they expected them to
break out was not specified. Neither Caroline nor Mrs. Pryor asked
questions. The subject did not appear to be regarded as one ripe for
free discussion; therefore the lady and her tenant were suffered to keep
details to themselves, unimportuned by the curiosity of their listeners.

Miss Keeldar, in speaking to Mr. Moore, took a tone at once animated and
dignified, confidential and self-respecting. Whe