back to me."

During this time Marten was looking about for Reuben, and soon he saw
that the little fellow was seated by Mary Roscoe, as happy as possible,
for Mary was a kind-hearted girl, and loved every thing and every body,
and every body loved her, and now she was taking care that the child was
helped before herself, and with what he liked, and when she met Marten's
eye, she kissed Reuben very earnestly, and called him a sweet darling
and her own pet, and she asked the little one if he did not love Mary.
Reuben returned the kiss and looked so smilingly up at Marten, that his
brother could not but be contented, and having thanked Mary most
heartily for her very great kindness, he was only too glad to get away
once more to where the boys were seated. Poor Marten was not aware, and
I do not exactly see how he should have been aware, that the easy
kindness of Mary Roscoe was but too likely now to bring his brother into
trouble, for Mary did not like to refuse the little fellow any thing;
and as the child was hungry and more than ready for the meal, for it was
past his usual dinner hour, I am obliged to confess he ate greedily of
the good things set before him, one after another without moderation or
discernment, pudding following meat, and cheese after pudding, and fruit
after that, till quantity and diversity were so mingled together, that
it was a wonder the babe endured himself as well as he did. He was,
however, so satisfied and even cloyed, that towards the end of the time
he contented himself with a taste of this and that, and under the easy
rule of Miss Mary, the remnants of his desert were transferred to his
pockets, to serve to regale him at some future moment. I have said that
Marten could not have been aware of this foolish weakness of Mary
Roscoe, but Marten was not free of blame in the affair, for he had
started wrongly as regarded Reuben, and in his self conceit he had
placed himself in circumstances where the temptations that surrounded