stud-farm in all Shropshire, and spared no money upon it; and the young
ladies his sisters will have been taught the best of manners; it might be
well for my pretty to hear how they go on."

"You dear old Dixon, you don't know anything about my lecture, and I'm
not going to tell you. Only I daresay Mr. Corbet might be a little bit
right, though I'm sure he was a great deal wrong."

"But you'll not go on a-fretting--you won't now, there's a good young
lady--for master won't like it, and it'll make him uneasy, and he's
enough of trouble without your red eyes, bless them."

"Trouble--papa, trouble! Oh, Dixon! what do you mean?" exclaimed
Ellinor, her face taking all a woman's intensity of expression in a
minute.


"Nay, I know nought," said Dixon, evasively. "Only that Dunster fellow
is not to my mind, and I think he potters the master sadly with his fid-
fad ways."

"I hate Mr. Dunster!" said Ellinor, vehemently. "I won't speak a word to
him the next time he comes to dine with papa."

"Missy will do what papa likes best," said Dixon, admonishingly; and with
this the pair of "friends" parted,