(Britannia metal) spoons and forks; but he kept it constantly before his eyes and acted on it. An excellent maxim, too often neglected by men, and still more so by women; but needing, for its completeness, the supplementary device, 'Honesty is the best policy.' The latter axiom, from its vulgarity or inconvenience, Mr. John Adair disregarded, and took his motto neat.

109

CHAPTER XXIV.

ON THE BRINK OF CONFESSION.

'IN the long vacation,' it was the Canon's wont to remark, we breakfast a little late.'

This was true; but nevertheless calculated to give a false impression-namely, that when it was not the long vacation the Canon breakfasted early. Like most indolent men, he was, in fact, a late riser at all times. Miss Aldred, on the contrary, was up and about attending to her household affairs almost as soon as her maids. Sophy followed her guardian's example, and was always the last to put in an appearance. For the last few mornings she had been later than ever; and, indeed, now often breakfasted in her own

room. This was the case on the present occasion, so that the Canon and his sister were alone.

So Miss Sophy has deserted us again,' he said, as he lazily cracked an egg. 'I can't think what has come to the young girls of the present day; when you were Sophy's age, Maria, you were as early a bird as you are

now.'

'We must make allowance for Sophy just now, William. She is by no means

well.'

'Yet she seemed so much better a few weeks back,' said the Canon.

That is true; I don't understand it myself. But it is certain she is now as out of health, and even more so, than she was awhile ago, when we called in Dr. Newton.'

'Then call him in again. If he did her good then, why should he not do her good now?' inquired the Canon, with that impatience of indisposition which a man always

exhibits when he is not himself afflicted with it, in which case he takes quite another view.

As Miss Maria kept silence, the Canon naturally went on to pooh-pooh what he believed was nothing serious as regarded his ward, and was certain was an inconvenience as regarded himself.

'Of course, if the dear girl is not well, she must be looked to; but I don't think she should be permitted to give way to mere fads and fancies. It would be much better for her, both now and in the future, if she were to exert herself a little more; if she made the tea, for example, instead of you; paid the week's bills, and learnt by experience those domestic matters which every woman should know, and every man when he marries expects (and is in general wofully disappointed) that she does know. As to Sophy, I am quite surprised at what you tell me about her, for, to my mind, she seems in exceptionally high

spirits, which, in view of recent events, I should hardly have ventured to expect.'

'How very unobservant even the cleverest men are!' observed Aunt Maria, with a pitying smile. 6 Is it possible you have not noticed, William, that those high spirits of which you speak are a little too high; that, in fact, they are forced?'

'I confess I have not,' was the blunt reply. 'I know the difference between fresh asparagus and forced asparagus; but when I see a girl chattering and laughing, and there is no reason why she shouldn't laugh and chatter, it doesn't strike me that her emotions are artificial. If she had been so merry a week or two ago, when that sad affair of poor Perry's took place, it might have aroused some suspicion of that sort; but now' and the Canon finished his sentence by shrugging his shoulders and throwing out his hands, an action borrowed from the French, but origin