182 AGAIN, OLD AND NEW ACQUAINTANCE.

ness in his brother-in-law's hands. She was a very
strictly religious lady, too, and, some people said, had
but little charity with the shortcomings of others—
but they might be wrong, and we think they were.
The note of introduction which Williams brought
from her brother, insured him quite a friendly recep-
tion; she ordered luncheon in for him, and then led
him over her grounds, showed him her shrubbery-
walks, and her rockery, and her grotto, and her
summer-house, and her little pond with water-lilies,
and her little greenhouse, and all her geraniums and
her fuchsias and cape-heaths, and heaven knows what,
growing in little heart-shaped beds, and standing on
elegant green stages and rustic flower-stands ; they
sat down together on garden-seats side by side, and
she pointed out views to him which he admired; they
looked into the kitchen-garden, and talked about
marrowfat peas, and the best mode of growing toma-
toes ; they peeped together into the melon-frame,
and she gathered a melon which he carried into the
house. It is astonishing how friendly they became
in that short time. Then they came into the house,
and he was taken into the nice little breakfast-room,
where were her books ; and the dining-room, and the
little boudoir—it was too small for a drawing-room
—where stood her harp, and her piano, and again her
flowers; and there were pictures of herself smiling
on the walls, here with her hair cut short, and in a
prim white frock and pink sash, a demure little
school-girl ; and there at eighteen, fresh as a rosebud.
Williams thought to himself what a wonder it was
that she was not married at eighteen. After he had
gone through the house, he went to take his leave of
her, but he did not take his leave; they sat.and