give her credit for all the virtues she professed, and even imagine others yet untold. Kindness, which had been the food of my life through so many years, had lately been so entirely denied me, that I welcomed with grateful joy the slightest semblance of it. No wonder then that my heart warmed to the old lady, and always gladdened at her approach, and regreted her departure.
But now, the few words, luckily, or unluckily, heard in passing, had wholly revolutionized my ideas respecting her; now I looked upon her as hypocritical and insincere, a flatterer, and a spy upon my words and deeds. Doubtless it would have been my interest still to meet her with the same cheerful smile, and tone of respectful cordiality as before; but I could not, if I would; my manner altered with my feelings, and became so cold and shy that she could not fail to notice it. She soon did notice it, and her manner altered too:—the familiar nod was changed to a stiff bow, the gracious smile gave place to a glare of gorgon ferocity, her vivacious loquacity was entirely transferred from me to the "darling boy and girls," whom she flattered and indulged more absurdly than ever their mother had done.
