courage at first to utter a syllable in reply to her ques-
tioning look and her murmured petition,--

"Say you forgive me, Hareton, do. You can make
me so happy by speaking that little word."

He muttered something inaudible.

"And you'll be my friend?" added Catherine inter-
rogatively.

"Nay, you'll be ashamed of me every day of your life,"
he answered, "and the more ashamed the more you
know me; and I cannot bide it."

"So you won't be my friend?" she said, smiling as
sweet as honey, and creeping close up.

I overheard no further distinguishable talk, but, on
looking round again, I perceived two such radiant
countenances bent over the page of the accepted book
that I did not doubt the treaty had been ratified on
both sides, and the enemies were thenceforth sworn allies.

The work they studied was full of costly pictures, and
those and their position had charm enough to keep them
unmoved till Joseph came home. He, poor man, was
perfectly aghast at the spectacle of Catherine seated on
the same bench with Hareton Earnshaw, leaning her hand
on his shoulder, and confounded at his favourite's en-
durance of her proximity; it affected him too deeply
to allow an observation on the subject that night. His
emotion was only revealed by the immense sighs he drew
as he solemnly spread his large Bible on the table, and
overlaid it with dirty bank-notes from his pocket-book,
the produce of the day's transactions. At length he
summoned Hareton from his seat.

"Tak' these in to t' maister, lad," he said, "and bide
there. I's gang up to my own rahm. This hoile's
neither mensful nor seemly for us; we mun side out and
seearch another."

"Come, Catherine," I said, "we must 'side out' too.
I've done my ironing. Are you ready to go?"

"It is not eight o'clock," she answered, rising un-
willingly.--"Hareton, I'll leave this book upon the chim-
ney-piece, and I'll bring some more to-morrow."

-311-