CHAP. XXII.

Not quite an idiot; for her busy brain
Sought, by poor cunning, trifling points to gain;
Success in childish projects her delight.

So weak a mind,

No art could lead, and no compulsion bind.
The rudest force would fail such mind to tame.
And she was callous to rebuke and shame.

CRABBE.

CECIL's tale, which included all the evening festivities, the ball,-the throwing of the stocking, and the libation of whisky which was dashed over the married pair, detained me so long, that Mrs Boswell and my pupil were at home an hour before me. Mrs Boswell, however, received me with her usual simper, and suffered the evening to arrive, before she began to investigate, with great contrivance and circumlocution,

the cause of my unusual absence. Though provoked at her useless cunning, I readily told her where I had been. But, though the lady had taken me into high favour, and made me the depository of fifty needless secrets, I saw that she did not believe a word of my statement; for Mrs Boswell was one of the many whose defects of the head create a craving for a confident, while those of the heart will never allow them to confide. Perceiving that my word was doubted, I disdained further explanation; and suffered Mrs Boswell to hint and soliloquize without deigning reply.

The little dingy cloud, which scarcely added to their accustomed dulness, was beginning to settle on the features of my hostess, when another attack was made upon her good humour. My pupil, in a romping humour which I could not always restrain, pulled out the comb that confined my hair; which unfortunately extorted from Mr Boswell a compliment on its luxuriance and beauty. Now Mrs Boswell's chevelure happened to have an unlucky resemblance to that of a dancing-bear; a cir

cumstance which I verily believe her poor husband had forgotten, when he incautiously expressed admiration of auburn curls. The lady's face was for once intelligible; her lips grew actually livid; and for some moments she seemed speechless. At last she broke forth. "Her hair may well be pretty," said she; "I am sure it costs her pains enough."

With a smile, more I fear of sarcasm than of good-humour, I thanked her for helping me to some merit, where I was ignorant that I could claim any. Mrs Boswell, either fearing to measure her powers of impertinence with mine, or finding sullenness the most natural expression of her displeasure, made no reply; but sat for a full hour twisting the corner of her pockethandkerchief, without raising her eyes, or uttering a syllable. At last, she suddenly recovered her spirits, and for the rest of the evening was remarkably gracious and entertaining.

I was not yet sufficiently acquainted with Mrs Boswell to perceive any thing ominous in this change. The next day, however,

while I was alone with my pupil, the child began to frolic round me with a pair of scissars in her hand; making a feint, as if in sport, to cut off my hair. A little afraid of such a play-thing, I desired her to desist; speaking to her, as I always did, in a tone of kindness. "Would you be very sorry,' said she, clasping her arms round my neck, and speaking in a half whisper, " very, if all your pretty curls were cut

very sorry,

off?"

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Indeed, Jessie," answered I smiling, "I am afraid I should; more sorry than the matter would deserve."

"Then," cried the child, throwing away the scissars, "I won't never cut off your hair, not though I should be bid a thousand thousand times."

"Bid!" repeated I, thrown off my guard by astonishment; who could bid you do such a thing?"

"Ah! I must not tell you that, unless you were to promise upon your word-"

No," interrupted I. "Do not tell me. Be honourable in this at least. And another time, if you wish to injure me, do so

openly. I will endure all the little evil in your power to inflict, rather than you should grow up in the habits of cunning."

That a mother should thus lay a snare for the rectitude of her child, must have appeared incredible, could the fact have admitted of a doubt. I had still too many faults myself to look with calmness upon those of others; and I was seriously angry. "How is it possible," thought I," to form in this child the habits of rectitude, while I am thus provokingly counteracted; and useless as I am compelled to be, how can I endure to receive the bread of dependence from a creature whose mischief has neither bound nor excuse, except in the weakness of her understanding. In the height of my indignation, I resolved to upbraid Mrs Boswell with her baseness and folly, and then resign my hopeless task. But I had so often and so severely smarted for acting under irritation, that the lesson had at length begun to take effect; and I recollected that it might be wise to defer my remonstrances till I could suppress a temper which was likely to render them both imprudent