evening we walked up to Hampstead and
back. Yet on Saturday she looked as well
as she does now."

"We!"  Who? They two alone?

Mr. Colthurst was a very clever man, and
a rising member of parliament. He had a
quick eye at discerning character, and was
struck by a remark which Mr. Thornton
made at dinner-time. He enquired from
Edith who that gentleman was; and, rather
to her surprise, she found, from the tone of
his "Indeed!" that Mr. Thornton of Milton
was not such an unknown name to him as
she had imagined it would be. Her dinner
was going off well. Henry was in good
humour, and brought out his dry caustic
wit admirably. Mr. Thornton and Mr.
Colthurst found one or two mutual subjects of
interest, which they could only touch upon
then, reserving them for more private after-
dinner talk. Margaret looked beautiful in
the pomegranate flowers; and if she did lean
back in her chair and speak but little, Edith
was not annoyed, for the conversation flowed
on smoothly without her. Margaret was
watching Mr. Thornton's face. He never
looked at her; so she might study him
unobserved, and note the changes which
even this short time had wrought in him.
Only at some unexpected mot of Mr.
Lennox's his face flashed out into the old look of
intense enjoyment; the merry brightness
returned to his eyes, the lips just parted to
suggest the brilliant smile of former days;
and for an instant, his glance instinctively
sought hers, as if he wanted her sympathy.
But when their eyes met, his whole
countenance changed; he was grave and anxious
once more; and he resolutely avoided even
looking near her again during dinner.

There were only two ladies besides their
own party, and as these were occupied in
conversation by her aunt and Edith, when
they went up into the drawing-room,
Margaret languidly employed herself about some
work. Presently the gentlemen came up,
Mr. Colthurst and Mr. Thornton in close
conversation. Mr. Lennox drew near to
Margaret, and said in a low voice:

"I really think Edith owes me thanks for
my contribution to her party. You've no
idea what an agreeable, sensible fellow this
tenant of yours is. He has been the very man
to give Colthurst all the facts he wanted
coaching in. I can't conceive how he contrived
to mismanage his affairs."

"With his powers and opportunities you
would have succeeded," said Margaret. He
did not quite relish the tone in which she
spoke, although the words but expressed a
thought which had passed through his own
mind. As he was silent, they caught a swell in
the sound of conversation going on near the
fire-place between Mr. Colthurst and Mr.
Thornton.

"I assure you, I heard it spoken of with
great interest—curiosity as to its result
perhaps I should rather say. I heard your
name frequently mentioned during my short
stay in the neighbourhood." Then they lost
some words; and when next they could hear
Mr. Thornton was speaking.

"I have not the elements for popularity—
if they spoke of me in that way they were
mistaken. I fall slowly into new projects;
and I find it difficult to let myself be known
even by those whom I desire to know, and
with whom I would fain have no reserve.
Yet, even with all these drawbacks, I felt
that I was on the right path, and that, starting
from a kind of friendship with one, I was
becoming acquainted with many. The
advantages were mutual: we were both
unconsciously and consciously teaching each other."

"You say 'were.' I trust you are intending
to pursue the same course?"

"I must stop Colthurst," said Henry
Lennox, hastily. And by an abrupt, yet
apropos question, he turned the current of
the conversation, so as not to give Mr.
Thornton the mortification of acknowledging
his want of success and consequent change
of position. But as soon as the newly-started
subject had come to a close, Mr. Thornton
resumed the conversation just where it had
been interrupted, and gave Mr. Colthurst the
reply to his inquiry.

"I have been unsuccessful in business, and
have had to give up my position as a master.
I am on the look out for a situation in
Milton, where I may meet with employment
under some one who will be willing to let me
go along in my own way in such matters as
these. I can depend upon myself for having
no go-ahead theories that I would rashly
bring into practice. My only wish is to have
the opportunity of cultivating some
intercourse with the hands beyond the mere
'cash nexus.' But it might be the point
Archimedes sought from which to move the
earth, to judge from the importance attached
to it by some of our manufacturers, who
shake their heads and look grave as soon as
I name the one or two experiments that I
should like to try."

"You call them 'experiments' I notice,"
said Mr. Colthurst, with a delicate increase
of respect in his manner.

"Because I believe them to be such. I am
not sure of the consequences that may result
from them. But I am sure they ought to be
tried"

"And you think they may prevent the
recurrence of strikes?"

"Not at all. My utmost expectation only
goes so far as this—that they may render strikes
not the bitter, venomous sources of hatred
they have hitherto been. A more hopeful
man might imagine that a closer and more
genial intercourse between classes might do
away with strikes. But I am not a hopeful
man"

Suddenly, as if a new idea had struck him,
he crossed over to where Margaret was sitting,