this well my dear i am sorry to seem to be hard upon him but i know mr very well whenever he makes himself a as he did to day he does it with a purpose he made himself very agreeable to me at one time � no not in the way you fancy i am not fool enough to suppose that � but in order to what he called an offensive and alliance between us it is no matter against whom or with what object but i was obliged to tell him that so far as i was concerned such an alliance could be only offensive but he can have no reason for me pleaded that is none that you can see answered aunt just so do you know aunt i think mr was chiefly anxious to a bad impression p aunt nodded no doubt he is his when he first saw you he thought that being young and and in a dependent position he could carry matters with you with a high hand now that he you have talent and are a girl of character he is another way to work moreover he knows that his has taken a fancy to you and that you may be dangerous dangerous i how so p well explained miss with hesitation he is of his influence over his master and it being shared by anybody by myself for instance do you know why he warned you against portrait painting and especially in the case of that was to i ie en o vi v s a party of four good heavens but i should never dream of such a thing of course not but mr hey ton dreams a good deal and looks very far ahead if a man could his own worldly advantage by taking thought beforehand mr would be a prince and a do you really think then that his talk had an object in view � it seemed to arise so naturally and so far as i can pretend to judge was so intelligent and sagacious when he spoke of diligence for example and said the busy bee has no time for sorrow he certainly said a v thing at all events i felt it was good advice no doubt and it appeared to be the wiser because it had an application to your particular case but i have my doubts as to its his own you mean to imply then said laughing that mr is a he is a deal worse than that said aunt he s a bad one all round chapter a of to the of aunt with respect to mr hey ton s character was almost as significant as her revelations it was a subject she evidently avoided as being a very distasteful one and yet when pressed she spoke her mind upon it she had left him at first to make his own way with her niece and so l ng as he had failed in it would have been well content to keep silence but no sooner had he gained her ear and appeared to be gaining her good opinion than aunt had stepped in with her note of warning did not dispute her relative s wisdom in this and far less her good intentions but upon the whole social life at the castle with her only two companions at drawn did not promise to be very cheerful and she almost regretted having volunteered to come out of her retirement before there was need for it she looked forward to this daily dinner party of three with their services of silver gilt with anything but pleasure and would have preferred a dinner of on wooden with a little friendly feeling her apprehensions on this score as happens to us in so many cases is meant no doubt to be set on the per side of our many disappointments proved to be for on the very next day when she was about to prepare for dinner miss burst in upon her in a state of breathless excitement with the news that they would not be three that day at dinner since his himself would join the party is a from a thorn such a thing my dear has not occurred she panted since i have been at the castle i am glad to hear he is coming said now i am so glad to hear you re glad continued the old lady i was so afraid that it might make you nervous there is really however nothing to be afraid of you have only to be like yourself as he says and you re sure to please who says inquired laying down her pencil which was now almost always in her fingers when she was not deep in perspective and staring at her aunt in surprise oh well perhaps i shouldn t have mentioned it but his was talking about you and your singing and so on and the of it it certainly is not artificial said smiling for i have had too little teaching he must be very easily pleased by some people perhaps my dear but not generally even mr though he certainly does his very best does not always succeed in that i should like to see him at it said smiling at what my dear trying to please his mr on his best behaviour must oe an interesting spectacle he does not interest me said aunt no that is because you are used to him dear papa used to say that everybody was interesting for five minutes i am not clever and therefore i don t find out people so quickly it will take you a very long time to find out mr my dear said aunt gravely then the pleasure will last me all the longer returned smiling what a strange girl you are said the old lady musing but i am delighted to see you so cheerful 