But she is the
first child I ever saw, that I think I could not get angry
with."
"Mother's heart half misgave her, I believe," said Lady Keith,
laughing; "she sat there looking at her for an hour."
"She seems to me perfectly gentle and submissive," said Mr.
Lindsay.
"Yes, but don't trust too much to appearances," said his
sister. "If she is not a true Lindsay, after all, I am
mistaken. Did you see her colour once or twice this morning
when something was said that did not please her?"
"You can judge nothing from that," said Mr. Lindsay; "she
colours at everything. You should have seen her to-day when I
told her I would take her to Bannockburn."
"Ah, she has got the right side of you, brother; you will be
able to discern no faults in her presently."
"She has used no arts for it, sister; she is a straightforward
little hussy, and that is one thing I like about her; though I
was as near as possible being provoked with her once or twice
to-day. There is only one thing I wish was altered — she has
her head filled with strange notions — absurd for a child of
her age — I don't know what I shall do to get rid of them."
After some more conversation, it was decided that school would
be the best thing for this end, and half decided that Ellen
should go.
But this half-decision Mr. Lindsay found it very difficult to
keep to, and circumstances soon destroyed it entirely.
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