In one of her fits she told this maid that she would give half of
what she possessed if her nephew were like other young men. 'I
don't want him to be a sot or to gamble away my money,' she cried,
'but there's not much else I should mind if he were but a man.'

A few days afterwards she spoke to her maid again. 'Look you here,
Jarvis, I shall go distracted. This morning he began to speak to me
about my soul--the brave boy that he used to be, talking of my soul
to ME! Listen to what I tell you and be reasonable. I know
perfectly well, and so do you, that before he took up with this
sickening cant he was in love with you and you were in love with
him. I saw it all and said nothing. I understand there's no more
flirting now. Ah, well, his blood is red yet; I've not forgotten
what five-and-twenty is, and he'll come if you whistle. You can't
marry him, of course, but you can and shall live comfortably
afterwards for all that, and when he has done what all other young
fellows do there will be an end to the prayer-meetings.'

The girl was a little staggered, but after a time her mistress's
suggestion ceased to shock her, for the nephew was a handsome fellow
capable of raising passion in a woman. What the aunt had said was
really true. She now threw the girl in his way. She was sent to
him with messages when he was alone, and one evening when he had
gone over to a prayer-meeting in the town about two miles away, she
was directed to go there on an errand, to contrive to be late, and
to return with him. She had half an hour to spare and was curious
to know what the prayer-meeting was like. She stood close to the
inner door, which was slightly ajar, and heard her master praying
earnestly. He rose and spoke to the little congregation for five
minutes. When he had finished she started for home, and he came up