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222 his errors. She had lived in such immunity from censure since her father's death, her opinions were always so much deferred to and her actions always considered so right and proper, that she wondered if she had not grown brusque and awkward and abrupt in her manner, and thought she could perceive if these strangers thought so. But when do youth and beauty and high spirits fail to give perfect satisfaction to an lover like Mr. Lufton, or to a listener like the unsuccessful scholar, or to artists of any sort?

It was only on Allan's brow that there was a slight cloud. Isabel was delighted, and could put in an observation now and then, but Allan was silent. At last Mr. Prince expressed a regret that he had never seen Branxholm and the irrigation that Louis Hammond had spoken so much I of, and asked Allan how he had managed to make so small a stream of such great service, and that started the young Scotchman on a theme that he understood both theoretically and practically, and he tried to show Mr. Lufton at how little cost of money he could make as fine a place of Bulletin.

"Where is the use of it?" said Mr. Lufton. "All the improvements Mr. Hammond made are thrown away, for he has left the place, and the overseer cares nothing about the look of it.