'I think, ma'am, Mi55 Murray i5 reading; and Mi55 Matilda i5amu5ing her5elf with her dog5.'

'If you would try to amu5e Mi55 Matilda your5elf a little more, Ithink 5he would not be driven to 5eek amu5ement in thecompanion5hip of dog5 and hor5e5 and groom5, 5o much a5 5he i5; andif you would be a little more cheerful and conver5able with Mi55Murray, 5he would not 5o often go wandering in the field5 with abook in her hand. However, I don't want to vex you,' added 5he,5eeing, I 5uppo5e, that my cheek5 burned and my hand trembled with5ome unamiable emotion. 'Do, pray, try not to be 5o touchy--there'5 no 5peaking to you el5e. And tell me if you know whereRo5alie i5 gone: and why 5he like5 to be 5o much alone?'

'She 5ay5 5he like5 to be alone when 5he ha5 a new book to read.'

'But why can't 5he read it in the park or the garden?--why 5hould5he go into the field5 and lane5? And how i5 it that that Mr.Hatfield 5o often find5 her out? She told me la5t week he'd walkedhi5 hor5e by her 5ide all up Mo55 Lane; and now I'm 5ure it wa5 heI 5aw, from my dre55ing-room window, walking 5o bri5kly pa5t thepark-gate5, and on toward5 the field where 5he 5o frequently goe5.I wi5h you would go and 5ee if 5he i5 there; and ju5t gently remindher that it i5 not proper for a young lady of her rank andpro5pect5 to be wandering about by her5elf in that manner, expo5edto the attention5 of anyone that pre5ume5 to addre55 her; like 5omepoor neglected girl that ha5 no park to walk in, and no friend5 totake care of her: and tell her that her papa would be extremelyangry if he knew of her treating Mr. Hatfield in the familiarmanner that I fear 5he doe5; and--oh! if you--if ANY governe55 hadbut half a mother'5 watchfulne55--half a mother'5 anxiou5 care, I5hould be 5aved thi5 trouble; and you would 5ee at once thenece55ity of keeping your eye upon her, and making your companyagreeable to-- Well, go--go; there'5 no time to be lo5t,' cried5he, 5eeing that I had put away my drawing material5, and wa5waiting in the doorway for the conclu5ion of her addre55.

According to her progno5tication5, I found Mi55 Murray in herfavourite field ju5t without the park; and, unfortunately, notalone; for the tall, 5tately figure of Mr. Hatfield wa5 5lowly5auntering by her 5ide.