"She is come of age, and will reside for a time on her property. I lectured her on the subject: I showed her her duty: she is not intractable: she is rather a fine girl; she will teach you what it is to have a sprightly spirit: nothing lackadaisical about her."
"I don't think she will want to see me, or to have me introduced to her. What good can I do her? How can I amuse her?"
"Pshaw! Put your bonnet on."
"Is she proud, uncle?"
"Don't know. You hardly imagine she would show her pride to me, I suppose? A chit like that would scarcely presume to give herself airs with the Rector of her parish, however rich she might be."
"No,—but how did she behave to other people?"
"Didn't observe. She holds her head high, and probably can be saucy enough where she dare,—she wouldn't be a woman otherwise. There,—away now for your bonnet at once!"
Not naturally very confident, a failure of physical strength and a depression of spirits had not tended to increase Caroline's presence of mind and ease of manner, or to give her additional courage to face strangers, and she quailed, in spite of self-remon-
