.

Her cheeks glowed for an instant. Pride, but not an ungenerous pride, which would

refuse that aid from a kind heart which her own heart would gladly bestow on the unfortunate, swelled her bosom. To find herself, all at once, the object of the bounty, not to say the charity, of a stranger, could not but be painful to her honourable and independent spirit. But the pain was quickly passing; and she determined in the first place not to wound John Hardy by returning his gift; in the next, only to resort to it in extremity. Calmed and soothed by the conviction that she was not deserted in the world, she sat down and wrote with simplicity and clearness the three letters, according to her father's injunction in the memorandum. It was late when she had finished her task, and she retired to rest to consult her pillow respecting the decision she should make as to her future manner of living.

And the morning brought a decision-this,

she would offer to be John Hardy's guest until she should hear from her uncle, and she would give up the cottage immediately. She had already received hints from the curate's wife about tenants who were ready for it. These were the Misses Downes, who found that with good management they could live at home on their little fortune, and having matrimonial hopes, also at home, they had abandoned the idea of joining Lady Ann Nidley in the voyage to India. After breakfast then, Harriet set out to make her proposal to Mr. Hardy, and if it were accepted, to give the necessary information at the parsonage respecting the cottage.

Roused by one touch of honest, human sympathy, Harriet Aveley was once more herself; she shrank no longer from her fellow beings, and all her trust in the Great Disposer of the events of life revived.

CHAPTER X.

"What freezings have I felt, what dark days seen, What old December's bareness everywhere!"

SHAKSPEARE.

OLD December's bareness was everywhere, not figuratively, as the poet meant in his love sonnet, but in reality. And, alas! in addition to that reality, the freezings, the dark days, the bareness in the soul, which he felt when it was not winter, were in the beginning of this December largely experienced by some of my village friends. First there is Miss Aveley; who can refuse deep sympathy with her in her dark days of solitary packing up and arranging all in her cottage for removal to John Hardy's? Next

there is Miss Hester Downes, decidedly the greatest beauty the village had ever boasted of, she is in her days of freezing, for a truant whom she had persuaded herself to believe a true lover is just now a bridegroom, and she is not the bride! And, thirdly, there is Lady Charlotte Nidley, who has at this moment a secret cause of her own for finding old December's bareness everywhere, though it were now glowing July.

She was at Woreham Castle to do the honours of the approaching Christmas to a select party of friends. They were assembled to await the return of her brother, the earl, with his bride. After the first part of the honeymoon, spent at a distant seat of the new countess's father, they were to spend its latter part at home. But before they arrived. there came another pair, whose honeymoon was six months past at least. The Marquis and Marchioness of Hoodborough, who had some property in that quarter, had become the occupants of Downes House, much to the

satisfaction of Sir Walcot's creditors. It should also be to the satisfaction of Lady Charlotte. Alas, no! for the marquis was another truant swain ! Everyone said, "What delightful neighbours you will have! When will you call, Lady Charlotte?"

She replied, with well-bred indifference, that it was not her intention to make any visit of ceremony in the neighbourhood, commencing a new acquaintance. She must leave that henceforward to her sister-in-law, Lady Woreham. "But, indeed," she added, "I believe it will be Lady Hoodborough's duty to call on Lady Woreham, for she has come first to settle here. No matter; we shall see how the two ladies settle that point in due time." And, taking up a newspaper, she seemed absorbed in something very interesting.

She was so-but it was with nothing on the printed sheet. Words were before her eyes-words never printed, yet she saw them and read, and re-read them there. She was