what had once been should remain forever here but with the glad colours of life not the faded ones of death upon it it satisfied her conscience to do this for it appeared to her that so very much of good had been granted her of late so large a measure of peace and hope vouchsafed to her that it was but fitting she should bear testimony to her of all that by of the last outward sign of the rebellion of her sorrowful youth the richard of to day busy with much kindness thoughtful of her comfort her with delicate � which to receives them makes her womanhood a privilege rather than a burden � yet her not a little too in the security of a fair and equal affection bore such moving resemblance to that other richard first master of her heart that could afford to the cruelty of certain memories retaining only the portion of them and could find a peculiar sweetness in of this room formerly devoted wholly to sense of injury and blackness of hate and on the day in question s presence a specially tender brightness even as the thirsty earth refreshed by the thunder rain sent up a rare whiteness as of incense smoke for she had been somewhat anxious about lately to her sensitive observation of him his virtue his of temper his had come to have in them a pathetic element he was lovely and pleasant in his ways but sometimes when tired or off his guard she had surprised an expression on his face a constrained patience of speech even of attitude which made her fear he had given her but that half of his confidence calculated to cheer while he kept the half calculated to rather to himself and in good truth richard did suffer not a little at this period the first push of enthusiastic conviction had passed while his new manner of conduct and of thought had not yet acquired the of habit the tide was low and sand bars disclosed themselves he endured the temptations arising from the state known to writers as spiritual and found those temptations of an and wholly sort and though he held his the new heaven and new earth feared for him � feared that the way he elected to walk in was over strait and that though resolution would hold health might be my darling you never now she had said to him a few days back to which he answered � poor dear mother have i cheated you of one of your few small pleasures was it so very delightful to listen to that same grumbling i begin to believe it was declared it conferred a distinction upon me you see because i had a comfortable conviction you grumbled to nobody else one is jealous of distinction yes � i think i miss it whereupon he laughed and kissed her and swore he d fast enough if there was anything � which positively there wasn t � to about au of which though it charmed appeased her anxiety but the young man worked too hard his opportunities of amusement were too scant cast about in thought and in prayer for some of his daily life even if such should lessen the completeness of his dependence upon herself and it was just at this juncture that miss st wrote proposing to come to for a week she had not been there since the recess she wrote from where she was staying on her way south after paying a round of country house visits in scotland it was now september she would probably go to for the winter with young lady � grand niece by marriage of her late god mother and � whose lungs were pronounced to be badly touched might she therefore come to to say good bye and to this proposed visit richard offered no opposition though he received the announcement of it without any marked demonstration of approval � oh by all means let her come of course it must be a pleasure to his mother to have her and he d got on very well with her in the spring � he had � richard s expression was slightly � but he did really like her � oh dear yes he her exceedingly she was quite curiously clever and she was sincere and she was rather beautiful too in her own style � he had always thought that by all means have her � after which conversation richard went for a long ride cottages in building at and visited a house extensive internal alterations which stands back from s green about a hundred yards short of the s shop at row he came in late unusual sir richard silence held him during dinner and lady took herself to task herself with selfishness was very dear to her and so only too probably she had the friendliness of s attitude towards the young lady but they had seemed to get on so extremely well in the spring and very fairly well at yet perhaps in that as in so much else richard put a upon himself obeying conscience rather than inclination was nor had her yesterday upon miss st s arrival richard remained today however matters had improved something � possibly the � seemed to have his coldness broken up his of manner therefore gave thanks and moved with a lighter heart as for miss st herself an innate pervaded her aspect not easy to resist lady had been sensible of it when the young lady first greeted her that morning it remained by her now as she stood after luncheon at one of the open windows watching the up rolling thunder cloud the the solemn behaviour of the was easily entertained to day she felt weu disposed towards every living creature and the diverted her extremely they reminded her of certain garden parties with this improvement 