And every time he happened to look at Mr.Whitelaw during that evening, he found the watchful eyes turned towards him in the same unpleasant manner.

The sensation caused by this kind of surveillance on the part of the farmer was so obnoxious to him, that at parting he took occasion to speak of it in a friendly way.
"I fancy you and I must have met before to-night, Mr.Whitelaw," he said; "or that you must have some notion to that effect.

You've looked at me with an amount of interest my personal merits could scarcely call for." "No, no, sir," the farmer answered in his usual slow deliberate way; "it isn't that; I never set eyes on you before I came into this room to-night.

But you see, Ellen, she's interested in you, and I take an interest in any one she takes to.

And we've all of us thought so much about your searching for that poor young lady that's missing, and taking such pains, and being so patient-like where another would have given in at the first set-off--so, altogether, you're a general object of interest, you see." Gilbert did not appear particularly flattered by this compliment.