136 History of Gutta-Percha Withe,

 

more, for the present, let her love out at her
pocket-hole —and Willie having, therefore, no
anxiety lest he should have displeased her, he soon
ceased to think even of the change; except, in-
deed, sometimes when he wanted a little money
very much, and then he would say to himself that
he was afraid poor grannie had been too liberal at
first, and had spent all her money upon him;
therefore he must try to be the more attentive to
her now. So the result was satisfactory; and the
more so that, for all her boasting, his grandmother
had not been able to help trembling a little, half
with annoyance, half with anxiety, as she let the
first few of his services pass without the customary
acknowledgment.

“There!” she said one day, at length, trium-
phantly, to Mr Macmichael; “what do you think
of my Willie now? Three months over and gone, |
and where are your fears? I hope you will trust
my judgment a little better after this,”

“I’m very glad, anyhow, you put him to the
trial,” said his father. “It will do him good.”

“He wants less of that than most people, Mr
Macmichael—present company mo¢ excepted,” said
the old lady, rather nettled, but pretending to be
‘more so than she really was.