failed in brotherly duty to her. When the girl left Colchester, she
was on rather bad terms with her aunt, and the latter wrote to
Julian, saying that she knew nothing of Harriet's object in going to
London, but that it was certainly advisable that some friend should
be at hand, if possible, to give her advice; though advice (she went
on to say) was seldom acceptable to Harriet. This letter alarmed
Julian, as it was the first he had heard of his cousin's new step;
the letter from herself at the end of a week's time greatly relieved
him, and he went off as soon as possible to see her. He found her
living in the house where she was engaged, apparently with decent
people, and moderately contented; more than this could never be said
of the girl. Since then, he had seen her at least once every week.
Sometimes he visited her at the shop; when the weather was fine,
they spent the Sunday afternoon in walking together. Harriet's
health seemed to have improved since her return to town. Previously,
as in her childhood, she had always been more or less ailing. From
both father and mother she had inherited an unhealthy body; there
was a scrofulous tendency in her constitution, and the slightest
casual ill-health, a cold or any trifling accident, always
threatened her with serious results. She was of mind corresponding
to her body; restless, self-willed, discontented, sour-tempered,
querulous. She certainly used no special pains to hide these faults
from Julian, perhaps was not herself sufficiently conscious of them,
but the young man did not seem to be repelled by her imperfections;
he invariably treated her with gentle forbearance, pitied her
sufferings, did many a graceful little kindness in hope of pleasing
her.

The first interview between Julian and Waymark was followed by a
second a few days after, when it was agreed that they should spend