You must suppose about three weeks passed over. Mrs. Graham and Iwere now established friends - or brother and sister, as we ratherchose to consider ourselves. She called me Gilbert, by my expressdesire, and I called her Helen, for I had seen that name written inher books. I seldom attempted to see her above twice a week; andstill I made our meetings appear the result of accident as often asI could - for I found it necessary to be extremely careful - and,altogether, I behaved with such exceeding propriety that she neverhad occasion to reprove me once. Yet I could not but perceive thatshe was at times unhappy and dissatisfied with herself or herposition, and truly I myself was not quite contented with thelatter: this assumption of brotherly nonchalance was very hard tosustain, and I often felt myself a most confounded hypocrite withit all; I saw too, or rather I felt, that, in spite of herself, 'Iwas not indifferent to her,' as the novel heroes modestly expressit, and while I thankfully enjoyed my present good fortune, I couldnot fail to wish and hope for something better in future; but, ofcourse, I kept such dreams entirely to myself.

'Where are you going, Gilbert?' said Rose, one evening, shortlyafter tea, when I had been busy with the farm all day.

'To take a walk,' was the reply.

'Do you always brush your hat so carefully, and do your hair sonicely, and put on such smart new gloves when you take a walk?'

'Not always.'

'You're going to Wildfell Hall, aren't you?'

'What makes you think so?'

'Because you look as if you were - but I wish you wouldn't go sooften.'

'Nonsense, child! I don't go once in six weeks - what do youmean?'

'Well, but if I were you, I wouldn't have so much to do with Mrs.Graham.'

'Why, Rose, are you, too, giving in to the prevailing opinion?'

'No,' returned she, hesitatingly - 'but I've heard so much abouther lately, both at the Wilsons' and the vicarage; - and besides,mamma says, if she were a proper person she would not be livingthere by herself - and don't you remember last winter, Gilbert, allthat about the false name to the picture; and how she explained it- saying she had friends or acquaintances from whom she wished herpresent residence to be concealed, and that she was afraid of theirtracing her out; - and then, how suddenly she started up and leftthe room when that person came - whom she took good care not to letus catch a glimpse of, and who Arthur, with such an air of mystery,told us was his mamma's friend?'

'Yes, Rose, I remember it all; and I can forgive your uncharitableconclusions; for, perhaps, if I did not know her myself, I shouldput all these things together, and believe the same as you do; butthank God, I do know her; and I should be unworthy the name of aman, if I could believe anything that was said against her, unlessI heard it from her own lips. - I should as soon believe suchthings of you, Rose.'

'Oh, Gilbert!'

'Well, do you think I could believe anything of the kind, -whatever the Wilsons and Millwards dared to whisper?'

'I should hope not indeed!'

'And why not? - Because I know you - Well, and I know her just aswell.'

'Oh, no! you know nothing of her former life; and last year, atthis time, you did not know that such a person existed.'

'No matter. There is such a thing as looking through a person'seyes into the heart, and learning more of the height, and breadth,and depth of another's soul in one hour than it might take you alifetime to discover, if he or she were not disposed to reveal it,or if you had not the sense to understand it.'

'Then you are going to see her this evening?'

'To be sure I am!'

'But what would mamma say, Gilbert!'

'Mamma needn't know.'

'But she must know some time, if you go on.'

'Go on! - there's no going on in the matter. Mrs. Graham and I aretwo friends - and will be; and no man breathing shall hinder it, -or has a right to interfere between us.'

'But if you knew how they talk you would be more careful, for hersake as well as for your own. Jane Wilson thinks your visits tothe old hall but another proof of her depravity - '

'Confound Jane Wilson!'

'And Eliza Millward is quite grieved about you.'

'I hope she is.'

'But I wouldn't, if I were you.'

'Wouldn't what? - How do they know that I go there?'

'There's nothing hid from them: they spy out everything.'

'Oh, I never thought of this! - And so they dare to turn myfriendship into food for further scandal against her! - That provesthe falsehood of their other lies, at all events, if any proof werewanting. - Mind you contradict them, Rose, whenever you can.'

'But they don't speak openly to me about such things: it is onlyby hints and innuendoes, and by what I hear others say, that I knewwhat they think.'

'Well, then, I won't go to-day, as it's getting latish. But oh,deuce take their cursed, envenomed tongues!' I muttered, in thebitterness of my soul.

And just at that moment the vicar entered the room: we had beentoo much absorbed in our conversation to observe his knock. Afterhis customary cheerful and fatherly greeting of Rose, who wasrather a favourite with the old gentleman, he turned somewhatsternly to me:-

'Well, sir!' said he, 'you're quite a stranger. It is - let - me -see,' he continued, slowly, as he deposited his ponderous bulk inthe arm-chair that Rose officiously brought towards him; 'it isjust - six-weeks - by my reckoning, since you darkened - my -door!' He spoke it with emphasis, and struck his stick on thefloor.

'Is it, sir?' said I.

'Ay! It is so!' He added an affirmatory nod, and continued togaze upon me with a kind of irate solemnity, holding hissubstantial stick between his knees, with his hands clasped uponits head.

'I have been busy,' I said, for an apology was evidently demanded.

'Busy!' repeated he, derisively.

'Yes, you know I've been getting in my hay; and now the harvest isbeginning.'

'Humph!'

Just then my mother came in, and created a diversion in my favourby her loquacious and animated welcome of the reverend guest. Sheregretted deeply that he had not come a little earlier, in time fortea, but offered to have some immediately prepared, if he would doher the favour to partake of it.

'Not any for me, I thank you,' replied he; 'I shall be at home in afew minutes.'

'Oh, but do stay and take a little! it will be ready in fiveminutes.'

But he rejected the offer with a majestic wave of the hand.

'I'll tell you what I'll take, Mrs. Markham,' said he: 'I'll takea glass of your excellent ale.'

'With pleasure!' cried my mother, proceeding with alacrity to pullthe bell and order the favoured beverage.

'I thought,' continued he, 'I'd just look in upon you as I passed,and taste your home-brewed ale. I've been to call on Mrs. Graham.'

'Have you, indeed?'

He nodded gravely, and added with awful emphasis - 'I thought itincumbent upon me to do so.'

'Really!' ejaculated my mother.

'Why so, Mr. Millward?' asked I.

He looked at me with some severity, and turning again to my mother,repeated, - 'I thought it incumbent upon me!' and struck his stickon the floor again. My mother sat opposite, an awe-struck butadmiring auditor.

'"Mrs. Graham," said I,' he continued, shaking his head as hespoke, '"these are terrible reports!" "What, sir?" says she,affecting to be ignorant of my meaning. "It is my - duty - as -your pastor," said I, "to tell you both everything that I myselfsee reprehensible in your conduct, and all I have reason tosuspect, and what others tell me concerning you." - So I told her!'

'You did, sir?' cried I, starting from my seat and striking my fiston the table. He merely glanced towards me, and continued -addressing his hostess:-

'It was a painful duty, Mrs. Markham - but I told her!'

'And how did she take it?' asked my mother.

'Hardened, I fear - hardened!' he replied, with a despondent shakeof the head; 'and, at the same time, there was a strong display ofunchastened, misdirected passions. She turned white in the face,and drew her breath through her teeth in a savage sort of way; -but she offered no extenuation or defence; and with a kind ofshameless calmness - shocking indeed to witness in one so young -as good as told me that my remonstrance was unavailing, and mypastoral advice quite thrown away upon her - nay, that my verypresence was displeasing while I spoke such things. And I withdrewat length, too plainly seeing that nothing could be done - andsadly grieved to find her case so hopeless. But I am fullydetermined, Mrs. Markham, that my daughters - shall - not - consortwith her. Do you adopt the same resolution with regard to yours! -As for your sons - as for you, young man,' he continued, sternlyturning to me -

'As for ME, sir,' I began, but checked by some impediment in myutterance, and finding that my whole frame trembled with fury, Isaid no more, but took the wiser part of snatching up my hat andbolting from the room, slamming the door behind me, with a bangthat shook the house to its foundations, and made my mother scream,and gave a momentary relief to my excited feelings.

The next minute saw me hurrying with rapid strides in the directionof Wildfell Hall - to what intent or purpose I could scarcely tell,but I must be moving somewhere, and no other goal would do - I mustsee her too, and speak to her - that was certain; but what to say,or how to act, I had no definite idea. Such stormy thoughts - somany different resolutions crowded in upon me, that my mind waslittle better than a chaos of conflicting passions.