24 THE MANSE AND ITS INMATES. 



visible in her improved bloom, light elastic step, and almost sportive 

 gaiety. Larch Hills taught her a lesson of which the bare possi- 

 bility had never entered her imagination that she could like any 

 place better than Erlsburgh House. So however it was. With only 

 two pupils, and those intelligent girls of thirteen and fourteen, the 

 progress of instruction assumed a more intellectual, interesting, and 

 endearing form than classes in a school admit of, and which she had 

 never felt to be the case with Harriot and Charlotte Hurst. 



Warm advocates for air and exercise, Sir Kenneth and Lady 

 Maitland objected to any lessons before breakfast, and as the first 

 bell, warning the family of the approach of that meal, did not ring 

 until half past nine, there was sufficient time, even early as was the sea- 

 son when Ruth arrived at Larch Hills, for long and delightful walks. 

 Then three little sure-footed ponies were kept for their use, and, 

 with the example of the Misses Maitland and the instruction of the 

 old coachman, Ruth so far improved upon her feats of donkey eques- 

 trianism at Ramsgate as heartily to enjoy not only a canter but a 

 gallop. 



Flora and Diana had been so accustomed to accompany their 

 brother and his tutor on their rambles, and to take an interest in their 

 pursuits, that they had insensibly acquired, not merely a taste for 

 botany, but a considerable degree of knowledge on the subject ; nor 

 was it long before they had rendered Ruth mistress of all they knew 

 themselves, and imparted to her the same desire to know more ; so 

 that she likewise learned to look forward to the time when the break- 

 ing up of the winter classes should set the young student and his 

 tutor free from their attendance upon college, and Edinburgh be ex- 

 changed for Larch Hills. 



The time at length arrived, and Lady Maitland was so kindly at- 

 tentive to their gratification as to request Mr. M'Neil to allow her 

 daughters and Miss Watson to be sharers in his instructions, when 

 not inconvenient to himself or likely to interfere with the improve- 

 ment of her son. 



Mr. M'Neil readily consented, and many a morning and evening 

 ramble was devoted to botany and mineralogy. 



Mr. M'Neil was a good deal older than Ruth, for he was five-and- 

 thirty when she first became acquainted with him ; and, confined as 

 she had in a great measure been to the society of her own sex, a less 

 highly gifted person might perhaps have gained her esteem and 

 admiration, but upon him she soon looked as the first of human 

 beings. He inherited from nature a refined taste and a strong un- 

 derstanding qualities not always united. His education had been 

 of a very superior order; and, though the church was his own choice, 

 having determined to see something of the world before he under- 

 took the charge of a parish, he had spent several years on the conti- 

 nent as a travelling tutor, and had had under his care some young 

 men of the first families in Scotland. His own family was good, and, 

 having never known any but good society, he had the manners as well 

 as the mind of a gentleman. 



Such a man could scarcely reside in the same house with a young 

 xvoman so amiable and agreeable as Ruth Watson \vithout feeling 



