124 A CONTRE-TEMPS.

venturing even a glance at her, said that he would
leave the young lady with his aunts. A cup of their
excellent tea would do her good. In the evening he
would return.

The quiet kindness of those amiable sisters, on
whose every action sincerity was stamped, reassured
the poor girl. They asked her no questions regarding
herself, but talked of the bright young days of her
mother, when they three had been happy, thoughtless
girls together. They spoke of her aunt and uncle
Osborne, as her mother had done; and when she
asked of her brother, they told her nothing but what
was good of him. He had been the companion and
friend of William Reynolds, their nephew, for these
ten years or more. Their nephew was the best young
man in the world—on this subject they never were
tired of speaking—they did not know what an agony
it was to the poor girl. At length, in the fulness of
her heart, she told all that had passed between them
—her frequent visits to the shop, her hope of surpri-
sing her father in making themselves known to him,
and being acknowledged by him, (of his unsuccessful
attempts she said nothing,) and, now, what had she
done? claimed a wrong relation—made herself appear
forward and ridiculous, and all the time he must have
known how inapplicable every word she uttered was
to him. Oh! why had he allowed her thus to commit
herself—thus to betray her father’s secret 4

The sisters could enter into her feelings—and to
show their confidence in her, as well as to excuse
- their nephew, they told her what hitherto they had
told to none—that their nephew's early history and
family connexions bore sufficient resemblance to those
of her brother, to make the mistake which had occur-