"Mrs. Quilliam."

Avhat they Avere like , but Mrs . Quilliam said they came down chimneys , " but I don't think they laugh , " he concluded ; " they arc biid people , and you look good ; only you avc very lazy . I have been

up hours , and I Avant you to open the door . Hc came back to say his name Avas Tony Fox and to ask Avhat mine Avas . I told him he might cull mc Witch , and Witch I was called by liini from that day forward .

CHAPTER V . I had lost my luggage crossing in the steamer , and told Mrs . Quilliam next day , as she AVUS taking aAvay my breakfast , that I meant to go to Douglas about it . "Bless ye ! 13 van will only bc too glad to go for yc . EA'an , " raising her A * oice , " conic in here and speak to Miss Marcia . "

This Avas not at all Avhat I Avould have chosen , but 1 could not help myself . Hc ignored my objections , saying it Avas no trouble as he meant to go to Douglas that day . The man Avas very goodnatured and AVell-mannercd for a - person in his station . I Avondcred IIOAV long he Avould stay ; surel y not more than a few days , for he had already been here a Aveek .

At any rate it Avas much pleasanter to haA'e Mrs . Quilliam and the house Avithout him . I should miss her companionship in the evenings while he was here ; for of course , she Avould choose his company rather than mine , and she couldn ' t have both . I Avas mistaken , however , for that evening she not only- came to my room , but brought her nephew too .

He had found my luggage in the packet oilice and had brought it home . Having explained this , I thought he Avould go ; he did not , hoAvever . He talked easily * on a A * ariety of subjects , until I got quite interested . Hc AVUS AVCII informed . I soon decided ; remarkably so , I

found later on—had travelled with his eyes open . Hooks had ahvays been Jlis friends , I remembered ; his knowledge of them Avas mar-A'cllous . Besides having au excellent memory , hc AVUS an original thinker—starting theories of his OAVU , sometimes curious , sometimes startling , ahvays interesting .

Living in a small place AA * hei * c feAV Avere clever , none brilliant , this mind came as a revelation to me . He not only Avas a good talker , but made mc one too . It AVSIS a HCAV and

delightful experience . Not always so , hoAvever ; occasionall y I felt piqued , that I , AVIIO had thought myself superior to most of my acquaintances , should be inferior to a man I had thought of looking doAvn upon .

All this came to pass by degrees , for the Aveeks AA'cnt on , and Evan CoAvall and the child still continued at the Keroo . It had become the custom to spend our evenings together . Mrs . Quilliam AVUS alAA'avs satisfied to sit and listen , occasionally showing her

appreciation by remarks such as , " There IIOAV , Miss Marcin ; didn't I tell you the gud hc AVUSS at larnin . ' " Sometimes she AVOUIC ! think I had done Avell , and equally pleased , she would say , " It ' s not many a young lady could talk like yantlier EAMU ; 'deed 1 always said she Avass as gud as the English praicher . "

I mi ght have felt disposed to bc more friendly to him , but for one circumstance : it soon became apparent that Mrs . Quilliam was doing her best to make up a match betAveen us . This might not

have mattered if the knoAvlcdge hael been confined to me ; but her devices Avere of thc simplest , and Evan COAVIC could not help seeing through them . He not only saw , but AVIIS amused , I found—nothing disconcerted him .

It AVUS in vain that I tried to be reserved . My efforts Avere quite lost upon the easy assurance of the one and the beaming good nature of thc other . The first hint of her plans Avas g iven one evening Avhen she told

a story of old Sammy Cordon not being able to get a Avife Avithout a " Dooincy Moyllee" ( mutch-maker ) . "You ' re not favorin' him , EA ' an , " sho concluded , "tho' ye Avar related on our side ; he AVUS a dacent man , but shy and stupid-like , and gettin' auld into thc

"Mrs. Quilliam."

bargain ; Avhat age AVIII you be now Evan for all , but you are some--thing alike , I ' m thinkin ' , in not gettin' snooted Avifch a Avife , and its myself that'll have to bo your Dooincy- Moyllee . " Then came a A'ollcy of nods , Avinks , and inueiicioes which made her meaning p lain , i should have liked an evening to myself occasionally-, but had not the option , for Mrs . Quilliam , AVIIO used to Avait for an invitation , now did not only think it unnecessary for herself , but gave one to her

nephoAv , too , Avhen he Avas at home . AVhen I tried to hint this to her , she answered with cheerful alacrity , "Bless you , Miss Marcia , you ' re all the bather for a little company , and if its him ycrc considerin ' , he'd as soon bc in the parlour as in thc kitchen . Iss it rcadin' ye say he might liko bather ? He ' s plenty of time for that all day , and hasn' he clone rcadin' enough any Avay ; Avhat more docs he Avunt ? "

Sometimes Avhen Evan COAVIO and I got rather hot in argument , Nanny Avould exclaim " AVcll , to hear you two quarrillin ' , one Avould think yc AVIIS gettin' fond of one another . " If AVC Avere agreed , it AA-ould be " You tAvo are gettin' very * great , for sure . "

It Avas disagreeable ; at times almost unbearable ! Respect for her old master ought to have prevented her from supposing that his daughter Avould think of her nephew in such a light , "But money , " I thought , bitterly , "more than compensates for birth and breeding . "

CHAPTER VI . One day little Tony had not been AYCII , and I had been sitting with him all the evening . Thinking Mrs . Quilliam and EA'an had gone to bed , I Avent doAvnstairs Avith a slniAvl round my shoulders , meaning to go outside to get a breath of fresh air . it Avas a clear moonli ght night , everything smelt fresh after the late rain . Opening the door I saw Evan COAVIC sitting in the porch smoking . He inquired anxiousl y for the child , and thanked

me so warmly for niy attention that I AVUS touched . The affection between the strong man and the little child AVIIS Avonderful . Tony was a strange mixture of old-fashioned thoughtfulness and Avay-AA * ardiiess . When no one else could manage him , a AA * OI * C 1 from "Uncle Evan" Avould quell his outbursts of temper . He had taken a liking to me , too , but I played a very secondary part in his affections .

AVe Avere standing-in the porch Avhen the door opened , and Mrs . Quilliam appeared , shading a candle with one hand , and clad in the Avonderful head-dress she called her ni ghtcap . " A Veil I miA'cr" she began "its here you arc , Miss Marcia . I Avent ill to say good night to you and enquire for Tony ( havin' said

my prars , and read my bit of scripture ) , and Avhen I didn' sec ye , 1 declare in my heurt I AVIIS fritened , for I didn' know in my senses where you were ! " I began to explain , but she interrupted . " Its all right—aw I ' m glad enough yon two arc making it up , its

a tine night for coortin , ' " ' _ ' I AVIIS just going upstairs when you came , " I said , but AVUS again interrupted .

"AAY ye needii' mind me at all—don ' t I knoAV what it is to bc coortin ' , and that there ' s no time like Avhen everyone is in bod , and you ' ve got the place to yoiirseh * cs . I ' m not g ' oin' to stay and intcrrup' at all , take you yer time . "

AVith a parting Avink Mrs ; Quilliam disappeared shutting the door behind her .

I did not knoAV Avhether to be amused or annoyed , but the broad smile on Evan ' s face decided it , and I laughed heartily . After this there seemed to bc a bond of sympathetic amusement betAveen " us , which iu a great measure destroyed aAvkAvartlness . I could not quite decide whether it made mc more or less able to endure Mrs . Quilliam ' s mistaken kindness that her nephew showed no intention Avhatever of fulling in with her plans . I suppose if ho had , I should have thought it intolerable presumption at that time ,

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