to suppress his feelings and feign indifference, yet the civil
nonchalance with which Meadows, on his return from Newborough, walked
into the Merton's parlor cost him no ordinary struggle.

The farmer received him cordially--Susan civilly, and with a somewhat
feeble smile. The former soon engaged him in agricultural talk. Susan,
meanwhile, made the tea in silence, and Meadows began to think she was
capricious, and had no sooner got what she asked for than she did not
care for it. After a while, however, she put in a word here and there,
but with a discouraging languor.

Presently Farmer Merton brought her his tea-cup to be replenished, and
upon this opportunity Susan said a word to her father in an undertone.

"Oh, ay!" replied the farmer very loud indeed; and Susan colored.

"What was you saying to me about that country--that Christmas-day is
the hottest day in the year?" began Mr. Merton.

Meadows assented, and Merton proceeded to put other questions, in
order, it appeared, to draw once more from Meadows the interesting
information of last night.

Meadows answered shortly and with repugnance. Then Susan put in: "And
is it true, sir, that the flowers are beautiful to the eye, but have
no smell, and that the birds have all gay feathers, but no song?" Then
Susan, scarcely giving him time to answer, proceeded to put several
questions, and her manner was no longer languid, but bright and
animated. She wound up her interrogatories with this climax: