trembling　lips。
  Yes；　certainly；〃　she　replied　with　a　smile；　and　a　glance　in　his　face
  as　of　wonder　as　to　what　could　trouble　him　so　much。　　Then　turning；
  and　leading　the　way；　she　said：
  〃Come　into　my　room。〃
  He　followed　her。　　She　turned　and　shut　the　door；　which　he　had　left
  open　behind　him。　　He　almost　knelt　to　her；　but　something　held　him
  back　from　that。
  〃Euphra；〃　he　said；　〃what　have　I　done　to　offend　you？〃
  〃Offend　me！　　Nothing。〃This　was　uttered　in　a　perfect　tone　of
  surprise。
  〃How　is　it　that　you　avoid　me　as　you　do；　and　will　not　allow　me　one
  moment's　speech　with　you？　　You　are　driving　me　to　distraction。〃
  〃Why；　you　foolish　man！〃　she　answered；　half　playfully；　pressing　the
  palms　of　her　little　hands　together；　and　looking　up　in　his　face；　〃how
  can　I？　　Don't　you　see　how　those　two　dear　old　ladies　swallow　me　up　in
  their　faddles？　　Oh；　dear？　　Oh；　dear！　　I　wish　they　would　go。　　Then　it
  would　be　all　right　againwouldn't　it？〃
  But　Hugh　was　not　to　be　so　easily　satisfied。
  〃Before　they　came；　ever　since　that　night〃
  〃Hush…sh！〃　she　interrupted；　putting　her　finger　on　his　lips；　and
  looking　hurriedly　round　her　with　an　air　of　fright；　of　which　he　could
  hardly　judge　whether　it　was　real　or　assumed〃hush！〃
  Comforted　wondrously　by　the　hushing　finger；　Hugh　would　yet
  understand　more。
  〃I　am　no　baby；　dear　Euphra；〃　he　said；　taking　hold　of　the　hand　to
  which　the　finger　belonged；　and　laying　it　on　his　mouth；　〃do　not　make
  one　of　me。　　There　is　some　mystery　in　all　thisat　least　something　I
  do　not　understand。〃
  〃I　will　tell　you　all　about　it　one　day。　　But；　seriously；　you　must　be
  careful　how　you　behave　to　me；　for　if　my　uncle　should；　but　for　one
  moment；　entertain　a　suspiciongood…bye　to　youperhaps　good…bye　to
  Arnstead。　　All　my　influence　with　him　comes　from　his　thinking　that　I
  like　him　better　than　anybody　else。　　So　you　must　not　make　the　poor
  old　man　jealous。　　By　the　bye；〃　she　went　onrapidly；　as　if　she　would
  turn　the　current　of　the　conversation　aside〃what　a　favourite　you
  have　grown　with　him！　　You　should　have　heard　him　talk　of　you　to　the
  old　ladies。　　I　might　well　be　jealous　of　you。　　There　never　was　a
  tutor　like　his。〃
  Hugh's　heart　smote　him　that　the　praise　of　even　this　common　man；
  proud　of　his　own　vanity；　should　be　undeserved　by　him。　　He　was
  troubled；　too；　at　the　flippancy　with　which　Euphra　spoke；　yet　not　the
  less　did　he　feel　that　he　loved　her　passionately。
  〃I　daresay；〃　he　replied；　〃he　praised　me　as　he　would　anything　else
  that　happened　to　be　his。　　Isn't　that　old　bay　horse　of　his　the　best
  hack　in　the　county？〃
  〃You　naughty　man！　　Are　you　going　to　be　satirical？〃
  〃You　claim　that　as　your　privilege；　do　you？〃
  〃Worse　and　worse！　　I　will　not　talk　to　you。　　But；　seriously；　for　I
  must　gobring　your　Italian　toto〃　She　hesitated。
  〃To　the　librarywhy　not？〃　suggested　Hugh。
  〃No…o；〃　she　answered；　shaking　her　head；　and　looking　quite　solemn。
  〃Well；　will　you　come　to　my　study？　　Will　that　please　you　better？〃
  〃Yes；　I　will；〃　she　answered；　with　a　definitive　tone。　〃Good…bye；
  now。〃
  She　opened　the　door；　and　having　looked　out　to　see　that　no　one　was
  passing；　told　him　to　go。　　As　he　went；　he　felt　as　if　the　oaken　floor
  were　elastic　beneath　his　tread。
  It　was　sometime　after　the　household　had　retired；　however；　before
  Euphra　made　her　appearance　at　the　door　of　his　study。　　She　seemed
  rather　shy　of　entering；　and　hesitated；　as　if　she　felt　she　was　doing
  something　she　ought　not　to　do。　　But　as　soon　as　she　had　entered；　and
  the　door　was　shut；　she　appeared　to　recover　herself　quite；　and　they
  sat　down　at　the　table　with　their　books。　　They　could　not　get　on　very
  well　with　their　reading；　however。　　Hugh　often　forgot　what　he　was
  about；　in　looking　at　her；　and　she　seemed　nowise　inclined　to　avert
  his　gazes；　or　check　the　growth　of　his　admiration。
  Rather　abruptly；　but　apparently　starting　from　some　suggestion　in　the
  book；　she　said　to　him：
  〃By　the　bye；　has　Mr。　Arnold　ever　said　anything　to　you　about　the
  family　jewels？〃
  〃No；〃　said　Hugh。　〃Are　there　many？〃
  〃Yes；　a　great　many。　　Mr。　Arnold　is　very　proud　of　them；　as　well　as　of
  the　portraits；　so　he　treats　them　in　the　same　waykeeps　them　locked
  up。　　Indeed　he　seldom　allows　them　to　see　daylight；　except　it　be　as　a
  mark　of　especial　favour　to　some　one。〃
  〃I　should　like　much　to　see　them。　　I　have　always　been　curious　about
  stones。　　They　are　wonderful；　mysterious　things　to　me。〃
  Euphra　gave　him　a　very　peculiar；　searching　glance；　as　he　spoke。
  〃Shall　I；〃　he　continued；　〃give　him　a　hint　that　I　should　like　to　see
  them？〃
  〃By　no　means；〃　answered　Euphra；　emphatically；　〃except　he　should
  refer　to　them　himself。　　He　is　very　jealous　of　his　possessionshis
  family　possessions；　I　mean。　　Poor　old　man！　he　has　not　much　else　to
  plume　himself　upon；　has　he？〃
  〃He　is　kind　to　you；　Euphra。〃
  She　looked　at　him　as　if　she　did　not　understand　him。
  〃Yes。　What　then？〃
  〃You　ought　not　to　be　unkind　to　him。〃
  〃You　odd　creature！　　I　am　not　unkind　to　him。　　I　like　him。　　But　we　are
  not　getting　on　with　our　reading。　　What　could　have　led　me　to　talk
  about　family…jewels？　　Oh！　　I　see。　　What　a　strange　thing　the
  association　of　ideas　is！　　There　is　not　a　very　obvious　connexion
  here；　is　there？〃
  〃No。　One　cannot　account　for　such　things。　　The　links　in　the　chain　of
  ideas　are　sometimes　slender　enough。　　Yet　the　slenderest　is
  sufficient　to　enable　the　electric　flash　of　thought　to　pass　along　the
  line。〃
  She　seemed　pondering　for　a　moment。
  〃That　strikes　me　as　a　fine　simile；〃　she　said。　〃You　ought　to　be　a
  poet　yourself。〃
  Hugh　made　no　reply。
  〃I　daresay　you　have　hundreds　of　poems　in　that　old　desk；　now？〃
  〃I　think　they　might　be　counted　by　tens。〃
  〃Do　let　me　see　them。〃
  〃You　would　not　care　for　them。〃
  〃Wouldn't　I；　Hugh？〃
  〃I　will；　on　one　conditiontwo　conditions；　I　mean。〃
  〃What　are　they？〃
  〃One　is；　that　you　show　me　yours。〃
  〃Mine？〃
  〃Yes。〃
  〃Who　told　you　I　wrote　verses？　　That　silly　boy？〃
  〃NoI　saw　your　verses　before　I　saw　you。　　You　remember？〃
  〃It　was　very　dishonourable　in　you　to　read　them。〃
  〃I　only　saw　they　were　verses。　　I　did　not　read　a　word。〃
  〃I　forgive　you；　then。　　You　must　show　me　yours　first；　till　I　see
  whether　I　could　venture　to　let　you　see　mine。　　If　yours　were　very　bad
  indeed；　then　I　might　risk　showing　mine。〃
  And　much　more　of　this　sort；　with　which　I　will　not　weary　my　readers。
  It　ended　in　Hugh's　taking　from　the　old　escritoire　a　bundle　of
  papers；　and　handing　them　to　Euphra。　　But　the　reader　need　not　fear
  that　I　am　going　to　print　any　of　these　verses。　　I　have　more　respect
  for　my　honest　prose　page　than　to　break　it　up　so。　　Indeed；　the　whole
  of　this　interview　might　have　been　omitted；　but　for　two
  circumstances。　　One　of　them　was；　that　in　getting　these　papers；　Hugh
  had　to　open　a　concealed　portion　of　the　escritoire；　which　his
  mathematical　knowledge　had　enabled　him　to　discover。　　It　had
  evidently　not　been　opened　for　many　years　before　he　found　it。　　He　had
  made　use　of　it　to　hold　the　only　treasures　he　hadpoor　enough
  treasures；　certainly！　　Not　a　loving　note；　not　a　lock　of　hair　even
  had　henothing　but　the　few　cobwebs　spun　from　his　own　brain。　　It　is
  true；　we　are　rich　or　poor　according　to　what　we　are；　not　what　we
  have。　　But　what　a　man　has　produced；　is　not　what　he　is。　　He　may　even
  impoverish　his　true　self　by　production。
  When　Euphra　saw　him　open　this　place；　she　uttered　a　suppressed　cry　of
  astonishment。
  〃Ah！〃　said　Hugh；　〃you　did　not　know　of　this　hidie…hole；　did　you？〃
  〃Indeed；　I　did　not。　　I　had　used　the　desk　myself；　for　this　was　a
  favourite　room　of　mine　before　you　came；　but　I　never　found　that。
  Dear　me！　　Let　me　look。〃
  She　put　her　hand　on　his　shoulder　and　leaned　over　him；　as　he　pointed
  out　the　way　of　opening　it。
  〃Did　you　find　nothing　in　it？〃　she　said；　with　a　slight　tremour　in　her
  voice。
  〃Nothing　whatever。〃
  〃There　may　be　more　places。〃
  〃No。　I　have　accounted　for　the　whole　bulk；　I　believe。〃
  〃How　strange！〃
  〃But　now　you　must　give　me　my　guerdon；〃　said　Hugh　timidly。
  The　fact　was；　the　poor　youth　had　bargained；　in　a　playful　manner；　and
  yet　with　an　earnest；　covetous　heart；　for　one；　the　first　kiss；　in
  return　for　the　poems　she　begged　to　see。
  She　turned　her　face　towards　him。
  The　second　circumstance　which　makes　the　interview　worth　recording
  is；　that；　at　this　moment；　three　distinct　knocks　were　heard　on　the
  window。　　They　sprang　asunder；　and　saw　each　other's　face　pale　as
  death。　　In　Euphra's；　the　expression　of　fright　was　mingled　with　one
  of　annoyance。　　Hugh；　though　his　heart　trembled　like　a　bird；　leaped
  to　the　window。　　Nothing　was　to　be　seen　but　the　trees　that　〃stretched
  their　dark　arms〃　within　a　few　feet　of　the　oriel。　　Turning　again
  towards　Euphra；　he　found；　to　his　mortification；　that　she　had
  vanishedand　had　left　the　packet　of　poems　behind　her。
  He　replaced　them　in　their　old　quarters　in　the　escritoire；　and　his
  vague　dismay　at　the　unaccountable　noises；　was　drowned　in　the　bitter
  waters　of　miserable　humiliation。　　He　slept　at　last；　from　the
  exhaustion　of　disappointment。
  When　he　awoke；　however；　he　tried　to　persuade　himself　that　he　had
  made　far　too　much　of　the　trifling　circumstance　of　her　leaving　the
  verses　behind。　　For　was　she　not　terrified？Why；　then；　did　she　leave
  him　and　go　alone　to　her　own　room？She　must　have　felt　that　she　ought
  not　to　be　in　his；　at　that　hour