Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II. It made a great breach in our enjoyment of the hospitality of Somerville Hall, when Mr. Ferguson joined us, as he sometimes did that winter. On my first interview with him, I felt surprised that a man so gentlemanly as Mr. Somerville should be able to find pleasure in his society, for he was anything but attractive in his own person. Yet on farther observation I found him possessed of considerable talent; and if not open himself, gifted with the power of unfolding the characters of those around him. " Will you do me a great kindness," said Kate, one morning when he had been invited to spend the day with us ; " will you watch that man for me, and tell me what you think of him 1 For I cannot make up my mind whether he is rather good, or wholly bad—tolerably respectable, or altogether mean." "How long have you known him V I inquired. " Nearly four months." " I should certainly say then, that a man who inspires no confidence in an acquaintance of four months, must, at best, be more bad than good." "Yet he has some redeeming qualities— he listens patiently to my poor father's stories." It struck me at that moment, that Mr. Ferguson might possibly have his own interest in doing this ; but I watched him through the day, and gave my report in the evening, as I had been requested, without betraying any of the suspicions which were beginning to gain ground in my own mind. My evidence, though confined to subjects of a superficial nature, was far from satisfactory ; and, as if by a kind of tacit understanding, we ceased to mention Mr. Ferguson to each other, though his presence had the same effect upon us all; resembling what certain writers have described as operating upon the agents of supernatural power, by that of some being not of their own order. Much...