Year: 1879

Mrs. East is more friend than a SER
want" said Dora, sharply. I" Mamma
made quite a companion of her, and 1
think the least can do is to go and see
her now and then when she is 80 very
ILL.,"


81 wonder whether you would come
and see me sometimes If 1 were very i'll,
Dora ?" said Morley, rather irreverent-
ly it seemed.


don't know, Pm sure" replied
Dora. " It's not very likely you would
care to have me-"


"Dora |" said Morley.


"My names not an interjection, Nor
ley" interrupted Dora, I" and do wish
you would not speak in that silly way,
just as if you were Banshee, or one of
those nasty things that come and call
people names when they are going to
die.''


Morley could not help smiling at Dora's
far-fetched similes, and tried to find
more congenial subject for conversa-
tion, but without success. Dora was in
q contradictory mood, and would not
agree TO anything. She did not believe
1t was a nightingale singing in the wood
near them, and even if 1t were, did not
particularly admire 1t people made too
much fuss about the nightingale; and as
for the sunset, it was an everyday affair
and she had seen plenty of finer ones.


Poor little Dora she knew she was
cross and miserable; she scarcely knew
why; and did not understand that she
was committing the folly which most
people are apt to mistake for philoso-
ply, in going out of their own rose
strewn path to find the thistles which
they feel must be somewhere, as If it
were wrong to be happy, wrong to take
the good gifts which heaven has provid-
ed. AS If the thorns and brambles
would not come in their appointed time.
AS length Dora and her companion
reached their destination, a pretty cot
tage, situated at the farther end of the
| village. Space was of but little conse-
| quence at Nutbourne, SO the smaller
houses were all built one story high
| This was no exception to the rule, and
was in no way different from many 9th
er cottages in the village, except that its
garden was more trinity kept, and the
cottage itself more completely covered
with climbing roses and jasamine.


Morley preferred waiting in the gar
den, was at liberty to smoke a cigar
and study a new phase in botany in the
shape of the herb bed, where he found
mental employment in wondering what
was the difference between pennyroyal
and peppermint, or horehound and sage,
and thinking that an impromptu couch
of wild thyme might he poetical, but
would most certainly not be pleasant.


The doctor was with the invalid when
Dora entered the cottage, so she had to
wait few minutes in the sitting-room
until he made his appearance when he
spoke few words in an under-tone to
the woman who acted as servant and
nurse to Mrs. East, bowed to Dora, and
told her the patient was anxious to see
her, coupling the information with the
injunction that she must not be excited





smiling acquiescence to which, the young
heiress entered the room he had Just
left.


Something like shade of pleasure
crossed the invalid's face as her glance
rested on the new conner. Mrs. East
might or might not have been possessed
of claims to beauty in her earlier days.
Illness and suffering had done so much
towards altering her features that it was
difficult to judge; only keen observer
would have seen that her eyes, though
dim and sunken, were of the same rare
blue which gave such a charm to the
bright young face beside her.


Dora sat talking for about half an hour
and then rose to depart. She had said
truly, Mrs. East had been much more
than servant. Nominally the house.
keeper at Lynton Hall, she had really
been its head, for Mrs. Lynton relied i'm.
plicitly on the strong mind and good
common sense that was always hers al
command; and, to do Mrs. East JUS
tice, she was not insensible to this kind
ness; thus, the interests of employed ant
employer seemed the same. Mr.. Lyn
ton, too, treated her with respect thal
sometimes almost bordered upon defer
ence, whilst for Dora she exercised the