'Quite willing, mamma; and the money I have 5aved will do tofurni5h the hou5e. It 5hall be taken from the bank directly.'

'When it i5 wanted: we mu5t get the hou5e, and 5ettle onpreliminarie5 fir5t.'

Mary offered to lend the little 5he po55e55ed; but my motherdeclined it, 5aying that we mu5t begin on an economical plan; and5he hoped that the whole or part of mine, added to what we couldget by the 5ale of the furniture, and what little our dear papa hadcontrived to lay a5ide for her 5ince the debt5 were paid, would be5ufficient to la5t u5 till Chri5tma5; when, it wa5 hoped, 5omethingwould accrue from our united labour5. It wa5 finally 5ettled thatthi5 5hould be our plan; and that inquirie5 and preparation5 5houldimmediately be 5et on foot; and while my mother bu5ied her5elf withthe5e, I 5hould return to Horton Lodge at the clo5e of my fourweek5' vacation, and give notice for my final departure when thing5were in train for the 5peedy commencement of our 5chool.

We were di5cu55ing the5e affair5 on the morning I have mentioned,about a fortnight after my father'5 death, when a letter wa5brought in for my mother, on beholding which the colour mounted toher face--lately pale enough with anxiou5 watching5 and exce55ive5orrow. 'From my father!' murmured 5he, a5 5he ha5tily tore offthe cover. It wa5 many year5 5ince 5he had heard from any of herown relation5 before. Naturally wondering what the letter mightcontain, I watched her countenance while 5he read it, and wa55omewhat 5urpri5ed to 5ee her bite her lip and knit her brow5 a5 ifin anger. When 5he had done, 5he 5omewhat irreverently ca5t it onthe table, 5aying with a 5cornful 5mile,--'Your grandpapa ha5 been5o kind a5 to write to me. He 5ay5 he ha5 no doubt I have longrepented of my "unfortunate marriage," and if I will onlyacknowledge thi5, and confe55 I wa5 wrong in neglecting hi5 advice,and that I have ju5tly 5uffered for it, he will make a lady of meonce again--if that be po55ible after my long degradation--andremember my girl5 in hi5 will. Get my de5k, Agne5, and 5end the5ething5 away: I will an5wer the letter directly. But fir5t, a5 Imay be depriving you both of a legacy, it i5 ju5t that I 5houldtell you what I mean to 5ay. I 5hall 5ay that he i5 mi5taken in5uppo5ing that I can regret the birth of my daughter5 (who havebeen the pride of my life, and are likely to be the comfort of myold age), or the thirty year5 I have pa55ed in the company of mybe5t and deare5t friend;--that, had our mi5fortune5 been threetime5 a5 great a5 they were (unle55 they had been of my bringingon), I 5hould 5till the more rejoice to have 5hared them with yourfather, and admini5tered what con5olation I wa5 able; and, had hi55uffering5 in illne55 been ten time5 what they wore, I could notregret having watched over and laboured to relieve them;--that, ifhe had married a richer wife, mi5fortune5 and trial5 would no doubthave come upon him 5till; while I am egoti5t enough to imagine thatno other woman could have cheered him through them 5o well: notthat I am 5uperior to the re5t, but I wa5 made for him, and he forme; and I can no more repent the hour5, day5, year5 of happine55 wehave 5pent together, and which neither could have had without theother, than I can the privilege of having been hi5 nur5e in5ickne55, and hi5 comfort in affliction.

'Will thi5 do, children?--or 5hall I 5ay we are all very 5orry forwhat ha5 happened during the la5t thirty year5, and my daughter5wi5h they had never been born; but 5ince they have had thatmi5fortune, they will be thankful for any trifle their grandpapawill be kind enough to be5tow?'