"Will you be silent? How dare you?" Miss Murdstone made a jail delivery of her pocket handkerchief, and held it before her eyes. •'Clara," he continued, looking at my mother, "you surprise me ! You astound me ! Yes, I had a satisfaction in the thought of marrying an inexperienced and artless person, and forming her character, and infusing into it some amount of that firmness and decision of which it stood in need. Bus when Jane Murdstone is kind, enough to come. to my as sistance in this endeavour, and to assume, for my sake, a condition something like a house keeper's, and when she meets with a base return — " " Oh, pray, pray, Edward," cried my mo ther, "dont accuse me of being ungrateful. lam sure I am not ungrateful. No one ever said I was, before. I have my faults but not that. O don't, my dear?" "When Jane Murdstone meets, I say," he went on, after waiting until my mother was silent, "with a base return, that feeling of mine is chilled and altered." "Don't, my love, say that?" implored my mother, very piteously. "Oh don't, Edward! I can't bear to hear it. Whatever I am, I am affectionate. I wouldn't say it, if I wasn't certain that I am. Ask Peggotty. I am sure she'll tell you I'm affectionate." "There is no extent of mere weakness, Clara," said Mr. Murdstone in reply, "that can have the least weight with me. You lose breath." " Pray let us be friends," said my mother, "I could'nt live under coldness or unkindness. lam so sorry. I have a great many defects, I know, and it's very good of you, Edward, with your strength of mind, to endeavour to correct them for me. Jane, I don't object to anything. I should be quite broken-hearted if you, thought of leaving — " My mother was too much overcome to go on. "Jane Murdstone," said Mr Murdstone to to his sister, "any harsh words between us are, I hope, uncommon. It is not my fault that so unusual an occurrence has taken place to night. I was betrayed into it by another. Nor is it your fault. You were betrayed into it by another. Let us both try to forget it. 