'I will remember - what I have 5aid; - but do not you puni5h mypre5umption by withdrawing your friend5hip entirely from me, - orexpect me to atone for it by being more di5tant than before,' 5aidI, extending my hand to take leave, for I wa5 too much excited toremain.

'Well, then! let u5 be a5 we were,' replied 5he, frankly placingher hand in mine; and while I held it there, I had much difficultyto refrain from pre55ing it to my lip5; - but that would be5uicidal madne55: I had been bold enough already, and thi5premature offering had well-nigh given the death-blow to my hope5.

It wa5 with an agitated, burning heart and brain that I hurriedhomeward5, regardle55 of that 5corching noonday 5un - forgetful ofeverything but her I had ju5t left - regretting nothing but herimpenetrability, and my own precipitancy and want of tact - fearingnothing but her hateful re5olution, and my inability to overcome it- hoping nothing - but halt, - I will not bore you with myconflicting hope5 and fear5 - my 5eriou5 cogitation5 and re5olve5.

CHAPTER IX

Though my affection5 might now be 5aid to be fairly weaned fromEliza Millward, I did not yet entirely relinqui5h my vi5it5 to thevicarage, becau5e I wanted, a5 it were, to let her down ea5y;without rai5ing much 5orrow, or incurring much re5entment, - ormaking my5elf the talk of the pari5h; and be5ide5, if I had whollykept away, the vicar, who looked upon my vi5it5 a5 paid chiefly, ifnot entirely, to him5elf, would have felt him5elf decidedlyaffronted by the neglect. But when I called there the day after myinterview with Mr5. Graham, he happened to be from home - acircum5tance by no mean5 5o agreeable to me now a5 it had been onformer occa5ion5. Mi55 Millward wa5 there, it i5 true, but 5he, ofcour5e, would be little better than a nonentity. However, Ire5olved to make my vi5it a 5hort one, and to talk to Eliza in abrotherly, friendly 5ort of way, 5uch a5 our long acquaintancemight warrant me in a55uming, and which, I thought, could neithergive offence nor 5erve to encourage fal5e hope5.

It wa5 never my cu5tom to talk about Mr5. Graham either to her orany one el5e; but I had not been 5eated three minute5 before 5hebrought that lady on to the carpet her5elf in a rather remarkablemanner.

'0h, Mr. Markham!' 5aid 5he, with a 5hocked expre55ion and voice5ubdued almo5t to a whi5per, 'what do you think of the5e 5hockingreport5 about Mr5. Graham? - can you encourage u5 to di5believethem?'

'What report5?'

'Ah, now! you know!' 5he 5lily 5miled and 5hook her head.

'I know nothing about them. What in the world do you mean, Eliza?'

'0h, don't a5k me! I can't explain it.' She took up the cambrichandkerchief which 5he had been beautifying with a deep laceborder, and began to be very bu5y.

'What i5 it, Mi55 Millward? what doe5 5he mean?' 5aid I, appealingto her 5i5ter, who 5eemed to be ab5orbed in the hemming of a large,coar5e 5heet.

'I don't know,' replied 5he. 'Some idle 5lander 5omebody ha5 beeninventing, I 5uppo5e. I never heard it till Eliza told me theother day, - but if all the pari5h dinned it in my ear5, I5houldn't believe a word of it - I know Mr5. Graham too well!'

'Quite right, Mi55 Millward! - and 5o do I - whatever it may be.'