that i am not subject to changes the change that i await here is the great change indeed ma am returned mr with a wandering eye little towards the figure of the little on her knee and of her work from the carpet you look nicely ma am i bear what i have to bear she answered do you what you have to do thank you ma am said mr such is my endeavour you are often in this direction are you not asked mrs why yes ma am said rather so lately i have lately been round this way a good deal owing to one thing and another beg mr and his daughter not to trouble themselves by about me when they wish to see me they know i am here to see them they have no need to trouble themselves to send you have no need to trouble yourself to come not the least trouble ma am said mr you really are looking uncommonly nicely ma am thank you good evening the dismissal and its accompanying finger pointed straight at the door was so and direct that mr did not see his way to his visit he stirred up his hair with his expression glanced at the little figure again said good evening ma am don t come down mrs i know the road to the door and out mrs her chin resting on her hand followed him with attentive and darkly eyes and stood looking at her as if she were spell bound slowly and thoughtfully mrs s eyes turned from the door by which had gone out to little rising from the carpet with her chin drooping more heavily on her hand and her eyes and lowering the sick woman sat looking at her until she attracted her attention little colored under such a gaze and looked down mrs still sat intent little she said when she at last broke silence what do you know of that man i don t know anything of him ma am except that i have seen him about and that he has spoken to me what has he said to you i don t understand what he has said he is so strange but nothing rough or disagreeable why does he come here to see you i don t know ma am said little with perfect frankness you know that he does come here to see you i have fancied so said little but why he should come here or anywhere for that ma am i can t think mrs cast her eyes towards the ground and with her strong set face as intent upon a subject in her mind as it had lately been upon the form that seemed to pass out of her view sat absorbed some minutes elapsed before she came out of this and resumed her hard composure little in the meanwhile had been waiting to go but afraid to disturb her by moving she now ventured to leave the spot where she had been standing since she had risen and to pass gently round little by the wheeled chair she stopped at its side to say good night ma am mrs put out her hand and laid it on her arm little confused under the touch stood faltering perhaps some momentary recollection of the story of the princess may have been in her mind tell me little said mrs have you many friends now very few ma am besides you only miss and � one more meaning said mrs with her finger again pointing to the door that man oh no ma am some friend of his perhaps no ma am little earnestly shook her head oh no no one at all like him or belonging to him well said mrs almost smiling it is no affair of mine i ask because i take an interest in you and because i believe i was your friend when you had no other who could serve you is that so yes ma am indeed it is i have been here many a time when but for you and the work you gave me we should have wanted everything we repeated mrs looking towards the watch once her dead husband s which always lay upon her table are there many of you only father and i now i mean only father and i to keep regularly out of what we get have you undergone many you and your father and who else there may be of you asked mrs speaking deliberately and turning the watch over and over sometimes it has been rather hard to live said little in her soft voice and timid way but i think not harder � as to that � than many people find it that s well said mrs quickly returned that s the truth you are a good thoughtful girl you are a grateful girl too or i much mistake you it is only natural to be that there is no merit in being that said little i am indeed mrs with a gentleness of which the dreaming had never dreamed her to be capable drew down the face of her little and kissed her on the forehead now go little said she or you will be late poor child in all the dreams mistress had been up since she first became devoted to the pursuit she had dreamed nothing more astonishing than this her head ached with the idea that she would find the other clever one kissing little next and then the two clever ones embracing each other and into tears of tenderness for all mankind the idea quite stunned her as she attended the light footsteps down the stairs that the house door might be safely shut little on opening it to let little out she found mr instead of having gone his way as in any less wonderful place and among less wonderful phenomena he might have 