The above remarks are designed not as an apology for, but as an explanation of, the circumstance that so little has been said of Markham in this our narrative. Our readers, however, will bear in mind, that such is the young man’s character, that he must have been all this while employing his time and talents as he ought. Some little exception may be made, and that we have mentioned: our allusion is to the weakness by which he suffered himself to be made almost the prey of Miss Henderson. We have alluded, and but slightly, to the perplexity and embarrassment wherewith he was annoyed and distressed on this account. It would be almost wearisome to describe at length the torment which that silly affair inflicted on him. He was not indeed quite such a hero as to resolve in spite of himself to marry the young lady merely because he saw that she thought that he was in love with her. He had not quite so much of the heroism of prudishness, or the prudishness of heroism in his composition, as to make so great a sacrifice. When, however, that ingenious, eloquent, and learned physician, Dr. Crack, made his appearance as a visitor and dangler at Mr. Henderson’s; and when Miss Henderson showed a manifest partiality to Dr. Crack, and when Dr. Crack showed a manifest partiality for Miss Henderson, then a weight was removed from the mind of Markham, and he recovered his spirits most surprisingly. But such is the lot of humanity, that the removal of one calamity or sorrow is but the making way for another. For now that Markham’s mind was emancipated from Miss Henderson, he began to feel more uneasiness at Tippetson’s intimacy with Clara. It had been, hitherto, a matter of comparative indifference to him while he was annoyed by the persecutions of Miss Henderson; but when trouble was removed, the other appeared greater. He continued, however, his intercourse with Mr. Martindale’s family, out of respect to and at the request of that queer old gentleman. Now, Markham was modest almost to sheepishness. He had a confidence in his judgment as to matters of an abstract nature, but he had not the slightest share of personal conceit or vanity. He did not think, as some young gentlemen seem to do, that he might have any hand he pleased to ask for. He did not for a moment think of setting himself up as a rival to supplant Mr. Tippetson in the affections of Clara; nor did it altogether comport with his notions of propriety and dignity to sigh and mope like a lackadaisical disappointed lover. He conducted himself, therefore, with cheerful good-humor; and the only symptom he showed of uneasiness was, that he seldom stayed when Tippetson was there.