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Show 112 HI CIIAHO IIUIWIS. in the fu1ln css of ltcr hcnrt 01lly that she suffered Iter lips to spcnk. "And whrrcfo rc is it," she demanded, "that ]\[r. If urdis takes such pnins to bring the idiot .dnughtrr of Ben l'lickctt into these secret pl:lccs 1 \VIty do these woods, which arc so wild-so little beautiful and at.tradivc-so inferior to !tis own-why do tlJCy tempt bim to these long walks 1 And this poor child, is it that ltc so pities her infirmity-which everybody sl10uld pitytllflt IJC seeks her for a constant companion in these woods, wlt crc no eye may watch over his steps, and no car !tear tltc language which is uttered in her own 1 Explain to me this, I pray you, Mr. Hurd is. 'Vhy is it that these woods nrc so much more agrccnblc to you than your fath er's or 'Squire Ensterby's 1 nnd why a. gentlenwn, wl10 makes bold to Jo,·e :Uary Easterby, nnd who values her sense and smartness, can be content with the illle talk of an unhappy child like 1nine 7 T ell me what it means, I entreat you, ~lr. Ilurdis; for in truth - supposing that you mean rightly - it is all a mystery to me." Tlw very meekness of the woman's manner helped to incrcnse the annoyance of llurdis. It was too little ofl'ensive to find fault with; and yet tlte measured {(1nes of Iter voice had in them so much that was bitter, that lte could not entirely conceal from Iter that he felt it. llis re}lly was such as migltt have Leeu expected:- " "\Vlty, 1\Irs. Pickett, T mean t no Jwrm, to Le sure. As for t1Ie woods, they nrc quiet and pretty cnouglt for me; and though it is true that my own or Mr. Easterby's arc quite as }H·etty, yet that's no renson one should be confined only to tl1em. I like to ramble elsewhere, by way of change; and to-day, you see, happening to sec yonr daughter as I rambled, I only joinecl her, and we walked toget her; that's all." "And do you mean to say, Mr. Hurd is, that yon have never before joined Jane Pickett in these walks 1" "To be snrc not-no-" "Ha!" "Yes-that's to say, I don't make a practice of it. I may have walked with her here once or it may be twice before, Mrs. Pickett-" "Ay, sir, twice, thrice, and a half-dozen times, if the truth is '!'Ill·: STH01'G )10'1'11 ER. 113 to be told!" exclaimed the wonwn vehemently. "I kwC'. seen you, si r, thrice myself, nnd watched your footsteps, :mel h e~nd you r won.ls- words cunningly devised, sir, to work upon tho simple feelings of that poor ignor:mt, whose very feeble11ess should commend It er to the protection, not the abuse, of a nobleminded man. D eny it, si r, if you dare ! I tell you, lt erc, in the presence of tl1e etenw l God, that I have lteard and seen you walk secretly in this wood with Jnne Pickett more th an three several times-nay, more, sir, you have enticed h er into it by various arts; and have nbuscd her ignorance by speaking to her in language unbecoming in a gentleman to speak , and still more unLecoming in a femnle to henr. I have seen you, and heard you, sir, with my own eyes and cars; and that you lmvc not done worse, f:i ir, is perhaps only ow ing to her ignorn ncc of your meaning." "You, at least, would have known Letter, Mrs. P ickett," rel) lied llurdis with a sneer-tlte lliscm·ery of the woman b ein gtoo obviously contplete to leave him nny hope from evasion. ''Your sneer falls lJUrmlessly llllOll my mi11d, Mr. Ilurdis. I am too poor, and too much of a mother, sir, lo be })rovoked by that. lt only shows you to me in a somewlHtt bolder point of view th an I had been accustomed to regard yon. I knew well enough yom ch:nact.er, when T ·watclted you in your walks with my child, nnd beard the language whiclt you used in Iter ear s- '' "Certainly a very commendable :mel ltoiJOrable employment, Mrs. Pickett! I give you credit for it." " Ay, sir, both prO}lCr and commendable wl1en employed as a }Jrecaution agninst those whose designs arc known to be impro} JCr, and whose cl1aractcr is without honor. I well enough understand your meaning. It was scarcely l•ouorablc, you wouhl say, that I should place myself as a spy upon your conduct, and become an eavesdropper to possess myself of your counsels. Tltese arc fa shions of opinion, sir, wl1ich ltave no efl'ect U}JOn me: I am a motl~cr, and I was watching over the safety of a frail and feeble cluld, who-God help her tlwt made Iter so !was too little able to take care of herself not to r ender it needful that I should do so. It was a mother's eye that watchedJlot you, sir, but her child; it was a mother's em thnt sought to know-not the words which were spoken Ly Jolm llmdis, but |
