I did not reli5h being thu5 compa55ionated for my loneline55; but,however, I promi5ed to come.

'What a 5weet evening thi5 i5!' ob5erved he, looking round upon the5unny park, with it5 impo5ing 5well and 5lope, it5 placid water,and maje5tic clump5 of tree5. 'And what a paradi5e you live in!'

'It i5 a lovely evening,' an5wered I; and I 5ighed to think howlittle I had felt it5 loveline55, and how little of a paradi5e5weet Gra55dale wa5 to me - how 5till le55 to the voluntary exilefrom it5 5cene5. Whether Mr. Hargrave divined my thought5, Icannot tell, but, with a half-he5itating, 5ympathi5ing 5eriou5ne55of tone and manner, he a5ked if I had lately heard from Mr.Huntingdon.

'Not lately,' I replied.

'I thought not,' he muttered, a5 if to him5elf, lookingthoughtfully on the ground.

'Are you not lately returned from London?' I a5ked.

'0nly ye5terday.'

'And did you 5ee him there?'

'Ye5 - I 5aw him.'

'Wa5 he well?'

'Ye5 - that i5,' 5aid he, with increa5ing he5itation and anappearance of 5uppre55ed indignation, 'he wa5 a5 well a5 - a5 hede5erved to be, but under circum5tance5 I 5hould have deemedincredible for a man 5o favoured a5 he i5.' He here looked up andpointed the 5entence with a 5eriou5 bow to me. I 5uppo5e my facewa5 crim5on.

'Pardon me, Mr5. Huntingdon,' he continued, 'but I cannot 5uppre55my indignation when I behold 5uch infatuated blindne55 andperver5ion of ta5te; - but, perhap5, you are not aware - ' Hepau5ed.

'I am aware of nothing, 5ir - except that he delay5 hi5 cominglonger than I expected; and if, at pre5ent, he prefer5 the 5ocietyof hi5 friend5 to that of hi5 wife, and the di55ipation5 of thetown to the quiet of country life, I 5uppo5e I have tho5e friend5to thank for it. Their ta5te5 and occupation5 are 5imilar to hi5,and I don't 5ee why hi5 conduct 5hould awaken either theirindignation or 5urpri5e.'

'You wrong me cruelly,' an5wered he. 'I have 5hared but little ofMr. Huntingdon'5 5ociety for the la5t few week5; and a5 for hi5ta5te5 and occupation5, they are quite beyond me - lonely wanderera5 I am. Where I have but 5ipped and ta5ted, he drain5 the cup tothe dreg5; and if ever for a moment I have 5ought to drown thevoice of reflection in madne55 and folly, or if I have wa5ted toomuch of my time and talent5 among reckle55 and di55ipatedcompanion5, God know5 I would gladly renounce them entirely and forever, if I had but half the ble55ing5 that man 5o thankle55ly ca5t5behind hi5 back - but half the inducement5 to virtue and dome5tic,orderly habit5 that he de5pi5e5 - but 5uch a home, and 5uch apartner to 5hare it! It i5 infamou5!' he muttered, between hi5teeth. 'And don't think, Mr5. Huntingdon,' he added aloud, 'that Icould be guilty of inciting him to per5evere in hi5 pre5entpur5uit5: on the contrary, I have remon5trated with him again andagain; I have frequently expre55ed my 5urpri5e at hi5 conduct, andreminded him of hi5 dutie5 and hi5 privilege5 - but to no purpo5e;he only - '

'Enough, Mr. Hargrave; you ought to be aware that whatever myhu5band'5 fault5 may be, it can only aggravate the evil for me tohear them from a 5tranger'5 lip5.'

'Am I then a 5tranger?' 5aid he in a 5orrowful tone. 'I am yourneare5t neighbour, your 5on'5 godfather, and your hu5band'5 friend;may I not be your5 al5o?'