and Rosina; but he soon began to discover that these regular proceedings were monotonous and tiresome, and preventive of pleasant tête-a-tête rambles through the green lanes; while, if he contented himself with escorting the ladies in their evening walk, and took a ride in the interim, he thereby left the field occupied by a rival whose genius sadly balanced against his own good looks. This conviction, when it first broke upon him, was mortifying. That Huntley, his inferior in station, fortune, and education, perhaps also in character, three inches shorter, and a mere painter to boot, should actually be his rival! Lewis's contempt for him seemed in a fair way of changing into dislike. He was pacified, however, by thinking that the picture would soon be finished, and the artist recalled by his business to London. Vain thought! Huntley, with the whole summer before him, and a picture in hand to which he was resolved to give the nicest finish, was in no hurry to depart; and as living at an inn was too expensive, he engaged a lodging at a little cottage in the valley, where he might remain all the autumn if he were so minded. Thus settled at his ease, he pursued his occupation in the most leisurely manner imaginable, touching and retouching Orpah's face and figure till they possessed the finish of a miniature; apparently, as it seemed to Lewis, for the purpose of tiring him out, and remaining victor by his mere tenacity of the ground. As Lewis had no tolerable pretence for remaining at Summerfield longer than a fortnight or three weeks, this plan seemed beyond the patience of a mortal to bear; and he devoutly wished he could find some London acquaintance who had a pretence for taking out a writ of habeas corpus against the indefatigable artist. If Lewis were thus alternately lapped in Elisium by Rosina's blushes, and chafed by her preference of his rival, Huntley was happier than he had ever been in his life, though not from the cause which Mr. Pennington suspected. He was engaged on a picture which pleased him; he was daily in the enjoyment of refined and pleasant society; he was shone on by the smiles of beauty, and had hourly opportunities of improving his acquaintance with the charms of Hannah's mind, while the delight of finishing her portrait was yet in store. He was now on speaking terms with every one in Summerfield: the Wellford's pleased him most; but he also liked Mr. Russell, Lewis Pennington, and Mr. and Mrs. Good; while partiality threw a halo round I mat less to recom shen a Summerfield, ang the banks of It was a TILIMS and ashes which esar shade. Hünt Ls thoughts was on the bottom of his aracted him, ues which no While he caras a her character, Conrad u him that posstachment might be an intellect, HSE Commendations 28 DE Hannah Vie pursuing whether he could ne ground, beSazar was he Sarong stand not JY SOME ME coughed, Shunter perceived Jamiey, growing more inte Statig aus. -Will you have ney ra karmy ripe, nuugh. Oh, I envy 526 2 3 Zemy late Jung, Rosina." Oh," said Huntley with mortification, "I thought you were speaking of Miss Wellford." 66 Hannah, no. Rosina for my money. Such a peachy kind of complexion, such a dimple, and such eyes." 66 Yes," said Huntley, "Miss Rosina Wellford is exceedingly pretty, but her sister is by far the more beautiful girl." Rather an old girl, I think," said Sam. "Old!" cried Huntley, looking as if he could have knocked him down. 66 Yes, old," repeated the pert little articled clerk, "she looked as womanly as she does now when I was leaving school, and was a tall girl paying visits with her mother when I used to run about in pinafores. I'm sure she can't be far from three and twenty; and that for a girl I call old." Sam, finding he had all the conversation to himself, soon afterwards walked off; and Huntley remained throwing stones into the water; and pondering on a young girl growing up in beauty without its being seen and admired by any one-without even dreaming, herself, of her own exceeding fairness. There was something which interested his fancy in the speculation. He wondered at Sam's audacity in calling Hannah by her Christian name. It was a privilege he had envied Mr. Russell; but then, Mr. Russell had known her from a child, and was almost old enough to be her father; at any rate her uncle. Sam Good's impertinence was unbearable! CHAPTER XIV. SUSPICIOUS APPEARANCES. "WELL, how go on affairs in general, Rosy?" said Matthew, one afternoon as he opened the garden gate. "Affairs in general," repeated she, laughing, "that is just like Sam Good. Come and see." She led him towards Mr. Huntley's picture. "Oh capital! Upon my word, Mr. Huntley is quite a-a what shall I say? A second Apelles. Only don't fancy, Rosy, that you are half so handsome as your picture." 66 To be sure I shall not," said she, removing his saucy the other inhabitants of the village who had less to recommend them. On the first Sunday which Lewis spent at Summerfield, Huntley strolled, after morning service, along the banks of the little river which wound through the valley. It was a hot day in August; and the willows and ashes which hung over the stream, formed a pleasant shade. Huntley fell into reverie, and the subject of his thoughts was Hannah. He felt that he loved her from the bottom of his heart, and that the beauty which had at first attracted him, was enhanced by the loveliness of feminine virtues which no splendour of intellect or fashion could excel. While he dwelt on the gradually unfolded charms of her character, with unalloyed pleasure, the doubt occurred to him that possibly all his own endeavours to excite attachment might be ineffectual. Huntley was not without the pride of intellect, but he was not vain. He gave his personal recommendations no undue preponderance in the scale; and felt that Hannah must be conquered by the power of mind. While pursuing the same chain of thought, and debating whether he could really afford to marry, he threw himself on the ground, beneath the shade of a little clump of trees. Scarcely was he seated, when his ears were saluted by a tapping sound, not unlike that of a woodpecker; soon after some one coughed, and then sneezed; and looking round, Huntley perceived Sam Good seated at a little distance, cracking nuts. "How d'ye do, Mr. Huntley ?" said Sam, with the ease of an old acquaintance, edging himself nearer as he spoke: “I saw you in church this morning." "Did you," said Huntley, not interrogatively. 66 Yes; this is a fine day, is n't it?" "Very," replied Huntley. "But very hot. How hot it was in church to be sure! You and I have picked out a nice cool place." "I am hardly satisfied with it," said Huntley, "I think I shall soon be moving." "You won't better yourself if you do. How goes on your picture? Ah, Mr. Huntley! you have a lovely subject." "Yes, I think I have," said Huntley, growing more interested in the dialogue. "Sweet!" said Sam, cracking a nut. "Will you have some filberts? They're hardly ripe, though. Oh, I envy you, I assure you. She's a pretty little thing, Rosina.” Oh," said Huntley with mortification, "I thought you were speaking of Miss Wellford." 66 Hannah, no. Rosina for my money. Such a peachy kind of complexion, such a dimple, and such eyes." "Yes," said Huntley, " Miss Rosina Wellford is exceedingly pretty, but her sister is by far the more beautiful girl.” Rather an old girl, I think," said Sam. 66 "Old!" cried Huntley, looking as if he could have knocked him down. "Yes, old," repeated the pert little articled clerk, “she looked as womanly as she does now when I was leaving school, and was a tall girl paying visits with her mother when I used to run about in pinafores. I'm sure she can't be far from three and twenty; and that for a girl I call old." Sam, finding he had all the conversation to himself, soon afterwards walked off; and Huntley remained throwing stones into the water; and pondering on a young girl growing up in beauty without its being seen and admired by any one without even dreaming, herself, of her own exceeding fairness. There was something which interested his fancy in the speculation. He wondered at Sam's audacity in calling Hannah by her Christian name. It was a privilege he had envied Mr. Russell; but then, Mr. Russell had known her from a child, and was almost old enough to be her father; at any rate her uncle. Sam Good's impertinence was unbearable! CHAPTER XIV. SUSPICIOUS APPEARANCES. "WELL, how go on affairs in general, Rosy?" said Matthew, one afternoon as he opened the garden gate. 66 Affairs in general," repeated she, laughing, “that is just like Sam Good. Come and see." She led him towards Mr. Huntley's picture. 66 Oh capital! Upon my word, Mr. Huntley is quite a-a what shall I say? A second Apelles. Only don't fancy, Rosy, that you are half so handsome as your picture." 66 To be sure I shall not," said she, removing his saucy |