162 Turnaside Cottage.

—work hard, take a high degree; and then, I
thought, any career almost would be open to me.
I might maintain my parents in comfort, enable my
sister to marry as she pleased, and at the same time
follow out the bent of my own inclinations in the
matter of historical studies. Those were golden
dreams.”

“ Surely—did you not get the scholarship, sir?”
I asked.

“T never went up for it,” answered my master,
with a sigh. “He shall hear. Absorbed in my
own interests and aspirations, I took little heed of
what went on about me, else I should surely have
seen that my mother was growing more careworn
and anxious ; my father more moody when at home,
and much more frequently absent, especially at
night ; and my sister more flighty and independent
in her manner. She had formed an engagement
with a person of whom my father did not approve ;
he was not willing, indeed, that she should marry at
all—he wanted to kcep her to himself, for the present,
at any rate, while she was so fresh and bright. My
sister, unaccustomed to be thwarted in any way,
resented it exceedingly. She had very strong
affections, which she had hitherto lavished on my
father; now she was as cold to him as she had
formerly been affectionate, and all her love seemed