To describe his feelings at the bare fact that such a hint was possible, would be more labour than the result would repay .-- What! his own flesh and blood, the heiress of Glashruach, derive pleasure from the boorish talk of such a companion! It could not be true, when the mere thought, without the belief of it, filled him with such indignation! He was overwhelmed with a righteous disgust.

He did himself the justice of making himself certain before he took measures; but he never thought of doing them the justice of acquainting himself first with the nature of the intercourse they held.

But it mattered little; for he would have found nothing in that to give him satisfaction, even if the thing itself had not been outrageous.

He watched and waited, and more than once pretended to go from home: at last one morning, from the larch-wood, he saw the unnatural girl seated with her maid on the bank of the river, the cow-herd reading to them, and on the other side the dumb idiot lying listening.

He was almost beside himself--with what, I can hardly define.