does not seem like a friend to keep things dark:
then to Mrs. Dodd: "She is not a child, mother,
after all; and how can it be wrong to tell her
the truth, or right to suppress the truth? Well
then, Ju, there's an advertisement in the 'Tiser,
and it's a regular riddle. Now mind, I don't
really think there is anything in it; but it is a
droll coincidence, very droll; if it wasn't there
are ladies present, and one of them a district
visitor, I would say, d—d droll. So droll,"
continued he, getting warm, "that I should like to
punch the advertiser's head."

"Let me see it, dear," said Julia. "I dare
say it is nothing worth punching about."
"There," said Edward. " I've marked it."
Julia took the paper, and her eye fell on this
short advertisement:

AILEEN AROON.—DISTRUST APPEARANCES.

Looking at her with some anxiety, they saw
the paper give one sharp rustle in her hands, and
then quiver a little. She bowed her head over
it, and everything seemed to swim. But she
never moved: they could neither of them see her
face, she defended herself with the paper. The
letters cleared again, and, still hiding her face,
she studied and studied the advertisement.

"Come, tell us what you think of it," said
Edward. "Is it anything? or a mere coincidence?"

"It is a pure confidence," said Mrs. Dodd,
with an admirable imitation of cool confidence.

Julia said nothing; but she now rose and
put both arms round Edward's neck, and kissed
him fervidly again and again, holding the
newspaper tight all the time.

"There," said Mrs. Dodd: "see what you have
done."

"Oh, it is all right," said Edward cheerfully.
"The British fireman is getting hugged no end.
Why what is the matter? have you got the
hiccough, Ju?"

"No; no! You are a true brother. I knew
all along that he would explain all if he was
alive: and he is alive." So saying she kissed the
'Tiser violently more than once; then fluttered
away with it to her own room, ashamed to show
her joy, and yet not able to hide it.

Mrs. Dodd shook her head sorrowfully: and
Edward began to look rueful and doubt whether
he had done wisely. I omit the discussion that
followed. But the next time his duties permitted
him to visit them Mrs. Dodd showed him the
'Tiser in her turn, and with her pretty white
taper finger pointed grimly to the following
advertisement:

AILEEN AROON.—I do DISTRUST
APPEARANCES. But if you ever loved me explain
them at once. I have something for you from your dear
sister.

"Poor simple girl," said Mrs. Dodd, "not to
see that, if he could explain at all, he would
explain, not go advertising an enigma after acting
a mystification. And to think of my innocent
dove putting in that she had something for him
from his sister; a mighty temptation to such a
wretch!"

"It was wonderfully silly," said Edward;
"and such a clever girl, too; but you ladies
can't stick to one thing at a time; begging your
pardon, mamma."

Mrs. Dodd took no notice of this remark.

"To see her lower herself so!" she said,"O
my son, I am mortified." And Mrs. Dodd leaned
her cheek against Edward's, and sighed.

"Now don't you cry, mammy," said he,
sorrowfully. "I'll break every bone in his skin, for
your comfort."

"Heaven forbid!" cried Mrs. Dodd anxiously;
"what, are you not aware she would hate
you?"

"Hate me! her brother!"

"She would hate us all, if we laid a finger on
that wretch. Pray interfere no more, love;
foolish child, talking to me about women, and it
is plain you know nothing of their hearts: and a
good thing for you." She then put on maternal
authority (nobody could do it more easily) and
solemnly forbade all violence.

He did not venture to contradict her now;
but cherished his resolution all the more, and
longed for the hour when he might take "the
Wretch" by the throat, and chastise him, the more
publicly the better.

Now, the above incident that revealed Julia's
real heart, which she had been hiding more or
less all this time from those who could not
sympathise with her, took eventually a turn
unfavourable to "the Wretch." So he might well be
called. Her great and settled fear had always
been that Alfred was dead. Under the
immediate influence of his father's cunning, she had
for a moment believed he was false; but so true
and loving a heart could not rest in that
opinion. In true love, so long as there is one
grain of uncertainty, there is a world of faith and
credulous ingenuity. So, as Alfred had never
been seen since, as nobody could say he was
married to another, there was a grain of
uncertainty as to his unfaithfulness, and this her true
heart magnified to a mountain.

But now matters wore another face. She was
sure he had written the advertisement. Who
but he, out of the few that take the words of any
song to heart, admired Aileen Aroon? Who but
he out of the three or four people who might
possibly care for that old song, had appearances
to explain away? and who but he knew they took
in the Morning Advertiser? She waited then
for the explanation she had invited. She read
the advertising column every day over and over.

Not a word more.

Then her womanly pride was deeply wounded
What; had she courted an explanation where most
ladies would have listened to none; and courted
it in vain!

Her high spirit revolted. Her heart swelled
against the repeated insults she had received:
this last one filled the bitter cup too high.