Year: 1873

to Mossgrove, and that the natural melancholy
of his disposition appeared to increase. He
rarely smiled, but would sit apart with an ab
sent, listless expression, occasionally reading
but oftenest gazing into the fire, or out OF
some window, with his hands folded idly in
his lap.


One day, while sitting thus, he sighed SO
heavily that Lucy not could forbear going to
him, and laying her hand on his shoulder
asked him affectionately-


"What is the matter, my dear boy?"


Stanley, who was in the room, laid down a
newspaper he was reading, and looked up to
hear his reply.


"Nothing," said Claude in a low Tone


Nothing? Then why did you sigh so deep
ly minute ago?"


The boy looked up and tried to smile, but
his lip quivered, and turning aside his head
he burst into tears.


Stanley Immediately rose from his seat and
came to his side.


"What is all this, my dear?" he said, ad
dressing his wife. "Is Claude sick? Why are
you questioning him in this way?"


81 do not know if he is sck," said Lucy
but he certainly looks pale and delicate, does
he not ?"


"He looks pale," said Stanley, considering
him with an attentive air; but that is surely
nothing to cry about. What are you crying
for, my boy"


There was so much kindness in his tone
that Claude looked up at him with more con-
6dence than usual, as he sobbed forth


"Itis nothing, uncle -only-only-I don't
feel quite we'll. My head aches badly to-day


"Then go and lie down." said his uncle
"Go to your room, close the windows and re-
main perfectly quiet on the bed until you feel
better"


Claude rose submissively and left the room


"My dear Lucy" said Stanley, in a serious
tone, when he was out of hearing, "it is moi
we'll for you to encourage Claude in the NOR
bid fancies he has appeared to me lately to
entertain. He is naturally nervous and a
little weak in his disposition, and it would be
more judicious to try and Danish these feel
ings, than to make him believe he has any
ground for them"


"Alfred," said his wife earnestly, ri am
sure that the child is not happy. He seems
so timid and uneasy in his manner, that 1 fea,
he is cowed."


"Cowedw repeated Stanley; "and by
whom?"


Now was the time, Lucy thought, for hel
to make bold stroke; and with degree Of
courage she could never have mustered in
her own cause, she replied


"By Mrs. Ford. She dislikes Claude, and
he is evidently afraid Of her; and I cannot
help thinking that sometimes, when we are
out of the way, she treats him badly"


"My dear, imaginative Lucy" said Stanley
calmly, though his face wore an uneasy look
as he spoke, "what singular fancies you have
Will you never overcome your unfortunate
prejudice against Mrs. Ford? What possible
cause can she have for disliking Claude, OF
treating him unkindly? The idea appears to
me preposterous."


"I do not know what cause she can have,
replied Lucy; "in fact 1 cannot see why any
one should dislike so amiable child as he is
yet, nevertheless, feel convinced that what ]
have told you is true, improbable as it may
appear to you. 1t is no idle fancy of mine u


"Has Claude ever told you that Mrs. Ford
was unkind to him p asked Stanley.


Lucy was on the point of saying I "never
could get him to tell ME anything" but refec'
ting that it would be wiser not to betray that
she had questioned him, she simply replied in
the negative.


ri have great confidence in our housekeep'
er," pursued Stanley, "and only wish could
inspire you with the same. She is an excel
lent person, though a little unprepossessing in
her manner, perhaps and I cannot see why
you should have taken so unwarrantable q
dislike to her."


II wish, at any rate" said Lucy, who had
grown wonderfully bold in pleading Claude's
cause, "that you would let the child be more
with me; would try to cheer him and amuse
him, and help him recover his spirits


"He will do we'll enough" said Stanley
"and I must ask you in future, my dear Lucy
not to give yourself and me, such unnecessary
anxiety on his account. You may depend
upon my doing all that is requisite to promote
his welfare while he remains under our roof
You n.ust have but little confidence in my
Judgment, or my affection for my nephew, if
you think it necessary to interfere in his be-
half No one shall be prompter than myself
in redressing any wrongs Of his, or of any
other member of my household, should dis
cover that such wrongs exist"


His tone admitted of no reply. He spoke
more sternly than he had done for some time
past and Lucy felt sorrowfully that she had
accomplished no good by speaking, and only
feared she might have done harm.


She resolved to be as vigilant as possible, in
order to discover whether her apprehensons
were correct or not. If she could really dis
cover any proof Of what she feared, surely,
she thought, her husband would then take
some measures to put stop oit.


This, however, she could not succeed in
doing; she was no match for the cunning that
was arrayed against her, and which bafled all
her efforts to find out the truth.


Claude was usually sent to bed at an ear
lier hour than that at which the rest of the
family retired, and Lucy observed that he
would frequently hesitate and appear uneasy,
when his bed time came, as if unwilling to 20