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answer your question. I must first consult uncle Carter. I am too much indebted to him to take any step which he might disapprove, whatever my own opinion should happen to be."

The doctor now took his leave of the family, and, after seeking out Mr. Carter at his store, and saying a few words to him in private, returned to his own happy abode.

CHAPTER IX.

"There in his noisy mansion skill'd to rule,
The village master taught his little school."
GOLDSMITH.

ON repairing to his school-house, the next morning, for the purpose of commencing his winter's task, Amsden unexpectedly found, among the pupils there assembled, and awaiting his coming, one whose appearance instantly attracted his attention, and awakened in his bosom a lively and peculiar interest. This was no other than Mary Maverick, the dependent orphan, who, on Dr. Lincoln's warrant of having a qualified teacher, had nobly braved the ridicule of her fashionable cousins, and the sneers of their arrogant professor, and come here to pursue those studies and receive that instruction which her own excellent judgment told her would most truly accomplish her, not only for the duties, but for the elegancies of life. Often did the former, during the forenoon, while engaged in ascertaining the intended studies of the different portions of his school, and arranging his classes, detect his attracted vision stealing in half-involuntary glances to the face of his fair pupil. He felt a vague though deepening impression that he had seen that remarkable countenance before; but it was rather a sensation of the heart than a recollection of the mind; for where or when he could have seen her, his taxed memory refused to inform him. And every effort he made to form a conclusion on the subject but added to his perplexity. Nor did the object of his mental inquiry herself seem wholly at ease in her posi

tion. There was a sort of tell-tale consciousness about her looks that bespoke either an actual recognition, or a dilemma no less pleasant than his own. Could it be that this was the sprightly little daughter of the interesting stranger, whose call at his father's, in former years, had left such an impression on his mind, and given such a turn to his destinies? He thought it not probable; for between that fairy little being, whose image, as she then in her child-like simplicity appeared, had ever been brightly pictured on his mind - and the sweetly dignified young lady before him, his thoughts could find no resemblance which would warrant him in determining on their identity. And yet, though his mind dared not entertain the pleasing thought, his heart continued to whisper, that, however great the transformation, they were one and the same. In this state of delicate embarrassment, he suffered himself to remain through the day. He might, as he well knew, have easily resolved his doubts, by conversing with her, and making some allusions to former circumstances. But, absurd as it may appear, the very solicitude he felt on the subject prevented him from doing this, or even going so far, in this respect, as his duties as her teacher perhaps required. And when he dismissed his school at night, he was not only ignorant of what he was most anxious to know respecting his interesting pupil, but he had not even ascertained her name.

After taking supper at his boarding-house, at which he had now taken up his quarters, our hero took occasion, with what secret motives we will not pretend to decide, to call at the house of Dr. Lincoln.

66

Ah, ha! my friend," exclaimed the doctor, gaily, as the other entered; "I am glad to see you; for I wish to ask you what you think of the condition of your numerous family."

"Rather low, as you intimated yesterday, but by no means hopeless, I trust, doctor," replied Amsden, in the same strain.

"Well, I am gratified to hear you say even so much. But did my phoenix make her appearance there to-day?” "Who, sir?"

"O, the young lady at Carter's—his niece, whom you heard me mention last night as likely to attend."

"There was a young lady at school to-day, who I thought might be the one to whom you alluded; but I did not learn her name."

"Not learn her name!"

"No; you did not mention it, and a teacher cannot often ascertain all the names of his pupils in one day. But who is she?"

"It is rather curious that a young gentleman should let a whole day pass, under such circumstances, without ascertaining who such a girl as Mary Maverick is,” replied the doctor with a surprised and somewhat incredulous look; "but I will tell you. She is the only child of Col. Maverick, the gentleman who, as I was naming to you yesterday, married the present Mr. Carter's only sister, lost his wife, failed, and finally went to South America by my advice, to repair his shattered health and fortunes-particularly the former; as I thought I detected, in his ill-health, indications of an approaching consumption, which another winter's residence in our climate, I was fearful, would develope. It was ascertained that he left the port at which he arrived, for the interior of Brazil, since which he has never been heard from. He doubtless there fell a prey to disease, or perished in the civil wars by which that country was then distracted."

"How many years ago was this?" asked the other, with

assumed indifference.

"Six years, the coming May, I believe - yes, it was in May that he left here. He had been the superintendent of a factory, in a village about an hundred miles to the south of this, where the year previous he had resided, having taken

his daughter with him to attend a school in the place. He returned with her early in the spring, and, leaving her in the care of her uncle, departed, never to return."

"Where she has ever since remained, I suppose?" said Locke, who, though now satisfied of the identity he had been secretly trying to establish, was yet reluctant to let the subject drop.

"Yes, to be sure,” replied Lincoln, throwing an inquiring look at the other; "yes, she has remained in that family, it is true; but she has not been spoiled for all that, - if such is an answer to what I take to be the drift of your question. No, the father was a man of high qualities, both of head and heart; and the daughter-but I shall leave you to find that out, Amsden, as you soon will-unless," he banteringly added, "unless the progress you have made in her acquaintance to-day is to be taken as a fair sample of the future."

Amsden now was quite willing to let the subject rest; and, after some further conversation on indifferent topics, he bade the other good night, and departed.

On entering his school-room the next morning, a little before the usual time of opening his school, Amsden was agreeably surprised to find the fair object of his yesterday's solicitude already there, engaged upon her studies. Feeling himself now, by the discoveries he had made last evening, measurably relieved from the embarrassment which had kept him aloof the day before, he no longer hesitated to approach her, pay his respects, and make inquiries respecting the studies she proposed to pursue. His advances being here met with unaffected kindness and respectful courtesy, he soon ventured to allude to the circumstance of their former meeting, at his father's; and he felt not a little gratified and flattered to find that all the little incidents connected with that brief visit were fresh in her recollection. She had even learned his subsequent history, almost to the present time,

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