really have got an appointment at the bank with that he fairly ran away and to the best of my knowledge it was three days be fore be showed himself in the again being very anxious to leave no stone i waited until mr came in and then described what had passed giving him to understand that i was not hopeless of his being able to the if he would undertake the task returned mr with a gracious smile you have not known my partner mr as long as i have nothing is farther from mj thoughts than to attribute any degree of to mr but mr has a way of stating his objections which often people no shaking his head mr is not to be moved believe me i was completely bewildered between mr and mr as to which of them really was the partner but i saw with clearness that there was somewhere in the firm and that the recovery of my aunt s thousand pounds was out of the question in a state of despondency which i re member with anything but satisfaction for i know it still had too much reference to myself though always of with i left the office and went homeward i was trying to my mind with the worst and to present to myself the arrangements we should hare to make the in their aspect when a chariot coming after me and stopping at my very feet occasioned me to look up a fair hand was stretched forth to me from the window and the face i had never seen without a of serenity and happiness from the moment when it first tamed back on the old oak staircase with the great broad and when i associated its softened beauty with the stained glass window in the church was smiling on me i joyfully exclaimed oh my dear of all people in the world what a pleasure to see you is it indeed she said in her cordial voice i want to talk to yon so much said l it s such a of my heart only to look at you if i had bad a s cap there is no one i should have wished for but you i what returned well perhaps first i admitted with a blush certainly first i hope said laughing but you next said l where are you going she was going to my rooms to see my aunt the day being very fine she was glad to come out of the chariot which smelt i had my head in it all this time like a stable put under a frame i dismissed the coachman and she took my arm and we walked the personal history and experience on together she was like hope embodied to me how different i felt in one short minute having at my side my aunt had written her one of the odd abrupt notes � very little longer than a bank note � to her efforts were usually limited she bad stated therein that she had fallen into and was leaving for good but had quite made up her mind to it and was so well that nobody need be uncomfortable about her had come to london to see my aunt between whom and herself there had been a mutual liking these many years indeed it dated from the time of my taking up my residence in mr s she was not alone she said her papa was with her � and and now they are partners said l confound him yes said they have some business here and i took advantage of their coming to come too you must not think my visit all friendly and disinterested for � i am afraid i may be cruelly prejudiced � i do not like to let papa go away alone with him does he exercise tbe same influence over mr still shook her head there is such a change at home said she that you would scarcely know the dear old house they live with us now � they said i mr and bis mother he sleeps in your old room said looking up into my face i wish i bad tbe ordering of bis dreams said l he wouldn t sleep long of ill i keep my own little room said where i used to learn my lessons how the time yon remember the little room that opens from tiie drawing room remember when i saw you for the first time coming out at the door with your quaint little basket of keys hanging at your side it is just the same said smiling i am glad you think of it so pleasantly we were very happy we were indeed said i i keep that room to myself still but i cannot always desert mrs you know and so said quietly i feel obliged to bear her company when i might prefer to be alone but i have no other reason to complain of her if she me sometimes by her praises of her son it is only natural in a mother he is a very good son to her i looked at when she said these words without in her any consciousness of s design her mild but earnest eyes met mine with their own beautiful frankness and there was no change in her gentle face the chief evil of their presence in the house said is that i cannot be as near papa as i could wish � being so much between us � and cannot watch over him if that is not too bold a thing to say as closely as i would but if any fraud or treachery is against him i hope that simple love and truth will be stronger in the end i hope that real love and truth are stronger in the end than any evil or misfortune in the world a certain 