scrutinizing him at that moment, with such keenness and penetration.
There are such things as antipathies; otherwise why should those two
individuals entertain, almost in a moment's time, such a secret and
unaccountable disrelish towards each other? Woodward did not love Alice,
so that the feeling could not proceed from jealousy; and we will so far
throw aside mystery as to say here, that neither did O'Connor; and,
we may add still further, that poor, innocent, unassuming Alice was
attached to neither of them.

"I hope your brother is well, sir," said O'Connor, anxious to break the
ice, and try the stuff Woodward was made of. "I have not seen him for
some time."

"O! then, you are acquaintances?" said Woodward.

"We are more, sir," replied O'Connor, "we are friends."

"I hope you are all well," interrupted kind-hearted Mrs. Goodwin.

"Quite well, my dear madam," he replied. Then turning to O'Connor: "To
be a friend to my brother, sir," he said, "next to finding you a friend
and favorite in this family, is the warmest recommendation to me. My
long absence from home prevented me from knowing his value until now;
but now that! I do know him, I say it, perhaps, with too much of the
partiality of a brother, I think that any man may feel proud of his
friendship; and I say so with the less hesitation, because I am sure
he would select no man for his friend who was not worthy of it;" and he
bowed courteously as he spoke.

"Faith, sir," replied O'Connor, "you have hit it; I for one am proud