his might seem to indicate; and, indeed, he was more

he was even on his guard against the ridicule that might attach itself to the spectacle of a house

inment from the little drama--if drama it was--of which Mrs. Penn

, as yet, of regula

ry doubt. There was no great danger in it; for Catherine, at the age of twenty- two, was, afte

ould marry a rich man. The fortune she would inherit struck him as a very sufficient provision for two reasonable persons, and if a

other thi

inasmuch as his door had as yet not been in the least besieged by fortune-hunters; and, las

only twice to the house, and he said to Mrs. Penniman th

. Penniman had of course great p

tion with equal good grace, and the

t they must not have the young man alone; this wou

Morris Townsend, though he was by no means the

a good impression; and if he fell short of this result,

observed him attentively, and after the ladies had gone o

pressed, and he found quite enough encoura

e he sipped it Morris reflected that a cellar-full of good liquor--there was eviden

not a commonplace young man. "He has ability," said Catherine's fath

ned out; quite the sort of fi

t think I

visitors about foreign lands, concerning which Morris offered him mor

he took the liberty of not believing ev

man, chatting with easy assurance, puffed his cigar and filled his glass agai

himself," said Morris's host; "I do

f invention are

hey were not so knowi

d head, d

bottle of Madeira and a bo

tood before Catherine, who was standing

e doesn't like me at a

like you?" as

r; extraord

you know," said C

am very qui

you are m

u ask him and

, if there is any danger of

her with an air o

you any pleasure t

radict him,"

ed without opening you

r won't a

t know yo

loud laugh, and Catheri

ou," she said, to take r

t is not quite what I sho

ave liked

think well of you, w

er; I couldn't say tha

or, if he had been watching him just then, would have seen a

joinder--none, at least, save what wa

t not give up the hope

before that he sang two or three songs at Catherine's timid request; not

nished every one made some exclamation--every one, th

stic," and Dr. Sloper said it was "very taking--very taking inde

l," said Morris Townsend, addressing the aunt

ks I'm a

rs. Penniman asked

derstood everything; and, unlike Catherine

it matter?" she

atly to the gratification of Mrs. Penniman, who

er Elizabeth, let her know that he had ma

said, "he's uncom

a beautiful structure; although, if people were all like

in people but their bone

think of him

a fa

n I am not

you are C

ls me she i

st get

ot a ge

take

e is a branch o

what I call

t the sou

sinuating; but it'

ough it i

too familiar--I

lausible

"if you make up your mind so e

ake up my

ion; and in order to be able to form that judgement in a

sibly you

is for Catheri

ith a pair of spectac