and retain, and which for very spite his father delights to rob
me of, and, from motives of mere idle egotism, is pleased to
win to himself; making no use of it but to torment me and
ruin the child. My only consolation is, that he spends com-
paratively little of his time at home, and, during the months
he passes in London or elsewhere, I have a chance of re-
covering the ground I had lost, and overcoming with good the
evil he has wrought by his wilful mismanagement. But then
it is a bitter trial to behold him, on his return, doing his
utmost to subvert my labours and transform my innocent,
affectionate, tractable darling into a selfish, disobedient, and
mischievous boy; thereby preparing the soil for those vices
he has so successfully cultivated in his own perverted nature.

Happily, there were none of Arthur's 'friends' invited to
Grassdale last autumn: he took himself off to visit some of
them instead. I wish he would always do so, and I wish
his friends were numerous and loving enough to keep him
amongst them all the year round. Mr. Hargrave, consider-
ably to my annoyance, did not go with him; but I think I
have done with that gentleman at last.

For seven or eight months he behaved so remarkably
well, and managed so skilfully too, that I was almost
completely off my guard, and was really beginning to look
upon him as a friend, and even to treat him as such, with
certain prudent restrictions (which I deemed scarcely neces-
sary); when, presuming upon my unsuspecting kindness, he
thought he might venture to overstep the bounds of decent
moderation and propriety that had so long restrained him.
It was on a pleasant evening at the close of May: I was
wandering in the park, and he, on seeing me there as he rode
past, made bold to enter and approach me, dismounting and
leaving his horse at the gate. This was the first time he had
ventured to come within its inclosure since I had been left
alone, without the sanction of his mother's or sister's
company, or at least the excuse of a message from them.
But he managed to appear so calm and easy, so respectful
and self-possessed in his friendliness, that, though a little

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