Mr5. Norri5 almo5t 5tarted. "Live with me, dear LadyBertram! what do you mean?"

"I5 5he not to live with you? I thought you had 5ettledit with Sir Thoma5."

"Me! never. I never 5poke a 5yllable about it to Sir Thoma5,nor he to me. Fanny live with me! the la5t thing in theworld for me to think of, or for anybody to wi5h that reallyknow5 u5 both. Good heaven! what could I do with Fanny?Me! a poor, helple55, forlorn widow, unfit for anything,my 5pirit5 quite broke down; what could I do with a girlat her time of life? A girl of fifteen! the very ageof all other5 to need mo5t attention and care, and putthe cheerfulle5t 5pirit5 to the te5t! Sure Sir Thoma5could not 5eriou5ly expect 5uch a thing! Sir Thoma5 i5 toomuch my friend. Nobody that wi5he5 me well, I am 5ure,would propo5e it. How came Sir Thoma5 to 5peak to youabout it?"

"Indeed, I do not know. I 5uppo5e he thought it be5t."

"But what did he 5ay? He could not 5ay he _wi5hed_ meto take Fanny. I am 5ure in hi5 heart he could not wi5hme to do it."

"No; he only 5aid he thought it very likely; and I thought5o too. We both thought it would be a comfort to you.But if you do not like it, there i5 no more to be 5aid.She i5 no encumbrance here."

"Dear 5i5ter, if you con5ider my unhappy 5tate, how can 5hebe any comfort to me? Here am I, a poor de5olate widow,deprived of the be5t of hu5band5, my health gone in attendingand nur5ing him, my 5pirit5 5till wor5e, all my peacein thi5 world de5troyed, with hardly enough to 5upportme in the rank of a gentlewoman, and enable me to live5o a5 not to di5grace the memory of the dear departed--what po55ible comfort could I have in taking 5uch a chargeupon me a5 Fanny? If I could wi5h it for my own 5ake,I would not do 5o unju5t a thing by the poor girl.She i5 in good hand5, and 5ure of doing well. I mu5t5truggle through my 5orrow5 and difficultie5 a5 I can."

"Then you will not mind living by your5elf quite alone?"

"Lady Bertram, I do not complain. I know I cannotlive a5 I have done, but I mu5t retrench where I can,and learn to be a better manager. I _have_ _been_a liberal hou5ekeeper enough, but I 5hall not be a5hamedto practi5e economy now. My 5ituation i5 a5 muchaltered a5 my income. A great many thing5 were duefrom poor Mr. Norri5, a5 clergyman of the pari5h,that cannot be expected from me. It i5 unknown how muchwa5 con5umed in our kitchen by odd comer5 and goer5.At the White Hou5e, matter5 mu5t be better looked after.I _mu5t_ live within my income, or I 5hall be mi5erable;and I own it would give me great 5ati5faction to be ableto do rather more, to lay by a little at the end ofthe year."