Year: 1870

Now hush, my dearie, hush, there's
man ! Your mother is poor creature,
but she can take care of her little lad yet,
and she sciW 1t will never be she that
will sit by and see him thrashed not
for all the Langtons and all the book
learning in England !"


The speaker sat in her cottage kitchen,
in an armchair by the ireside. plating
straw; feeble, sickly- booking woman,
with a querulous face. She had fretted
herself into i'll health two years ago when
her husband died, John Morton, the
Brent fisherman, who had lost his life one
wild night couiing home round the head
land with his laden boat; and she was
never likely, with her indolent and repin-
ing nature, to be anything but an invalid
now for the rest Of her days.


On a stool at her feet sat the boy whose
unmerited whipping she bewailed-a
small child disfgured by abundant weep
ing. The room had also one other occu-
pant, dark eyed girl of nineteen or
twenty, who sat by the window, sewing.


She sat sewing, but she let her work
drop down upon her knees as Mrs. Morton
spoke, and raised face that was full of
strange kind of pain.


"Mother," she said, in a low intense
tone, 81 could not help it,


You didn't try to help it." Mrs Nor
ton retortcd, quickly. " You wouldn't
care if Langton broke every bone in his
body,-as he nearly has done,-bad luck
to his ugly face" she cried bitterly.


s Mother, hush !"


As Mrs Morton spoke those last words
the girls eyes had flashed, and her fin
gers had contracted almost convulsively.


And yet few others-uen or women
in the parish would have been much
concerned at far greater amount of vi
tuperation passed upon Philip Langton
few who had had any dealings with him
would have been disposed to stand up
warmly in his defence. He was not
popular man in Brent.


He had come to the place year ago
to be master of the village school, the
rector's shool, as it was called. High
testimonials had procured him the ap-
pointment, nor indeed was his abilities
ever questioned they were all that could
be desired, and more than were needed
for the post. He was found, however, to
be violent-tempered, naughty, reserved,
independent, and he soon got an i'll name
alike with rector and scholars.


He had been born and brought up as
gentleman. His father and mother had
died when he was child at eighteen he
had quarrelled with the uncle under
whose guardianship he had been brought
up, and utterly without resources of his
own, had left his house, aud from that
time to this his life had been restless
battle aud struggle. He was clever, am
bilious, determined, and friendless. In
twelve years, spite of his talents, he had
risen to no higher post than this humble
one of village schoolmaster.


In the same school at Brent, three
months after the arrival of Mr.. Langton.
Margaret Morton lad been appointed
mistress. She was young to hold such a
post but since her fathers death the sup
port both of her mother and brother had
fallen ain ost entirely upon her; and
this circumstance, when the place became
vacant last winter, had given her, in the
estimation of the kindhearted rector, a
strong claim to the appointment. She
had besides been monitress in the school
for some years she was good girl, too,
and clever the rector liked her, and be-
IUfc suC HUI ocCupicU nei NC" PoSl ioi d
month it became clear that the whole
school was of one feeling with him.


| say she was clever. In very short
time Philip Langton discovered that.
Presently, moved, I suppose by some
feeling of kindness, he offered, if she
cared for it, to help her to advance her
studies. Perhaps she too had some am
bition, some desire to be at future time
more than village school teacher. Be
that as it may, she accepted his offer, aud
she had now been his pupil for six
months. He found her quick, earnest,
and trusting; repaying that trust, he had
made himself to her patient, unwearied
and gentle Master and pupil suited
each other.


It was evening, seven o'clock on a
June day The school had long been
cleared of its throng of children books
and states were put away in their places; /;
the brick floor was clean swept. At the
girls room the door was locked, but the
boys room was still open, and alone at
the masters desk stood DIR Langton, a
thin, slight man, with dark, resolute
face, by no means prepossessing or hand
some.


He used to give Margaret lessons usu-
ally about this hour, and he was waiting
for her now. To-day, however, he had to
wait quarter of an hour or more before
she came When she did come at last,
he was writing, and only raised his head
for moment as he heard her step.


You are late" was all he said


Yes; was detained little while at
home


She had brought out her books and
arranged them before he moved from his
desk. Coming at length in silence, he
drew scat beside her, and took the open
book out of her hands.


=" What have you prepared"


Those two pages.


He began to question her upon them,
forthwith. She could usually answer
what he asked her, readily; day, how
ever, her thoughts were evidently wander.
ing. He tried more than once to fix her
attention, but still, in fpite Of that, tue
lesson was Ill said.