"Oh! no then he said that these agents seldom married; and—and—they must have been wicked men, Elizabeth! but then he said—that—that"———
"Never mind," said Miss Temple, blushing and smiling, though so slightly that both were unheeded by her companion—"skip all that."
"Well, then he said that they often took great pride in the education of their children, whom they frequently sent to England, and even to the colleges; and this is the way that he accounts for the liberal manner in which Mr. Edwards has been taught; for he acknowledges that he knows almost as much as himself, or your father—or even mine."
"Quite a climax in learning!" cried the heiress—"commencing with the last, I suppose. And so he made Mohegan the grand uncle or grandfather of Oliver Edwards."
"You have heard him yourself, then?" said Louisa.
"Often; but not on this subject. Mr. Richard Jones, you know, dear, has a theory for everything; but has he one which will explain the reason why that hut is the only habitation within fifty miles of us, whose door is not open to every person that may choose to lift its latch?"
"I have never heard him say any thing on this subject," returned the clergyman's daughter; "but I suppose that, as they are poor, they very naturally are anxious to keep the little that they honestly own. It is sometimes dangerous to be rich, Miss Temple; but you cannot know how hard it is to be very, very poor."
"Nor you neither, I trust, Louisa; at least I should hope, that in this land of abundance, no minister of the church could be left to absolute suffering."
