And the girl pressed her forehead with her
hands and stood motionless.

"Yes, my dear," said the old lady,
stretching out her hand, and drawing her
daughter gently towards her. "I've thought
more than once, that this house with its
surroundings was scarcely the best school for
a young girl who had to face poverty, and
battle for her livelihood. And, indeed, I'm
far from thinking that, even so far as I'm
concerned, was it wise that we should
originally have come here, or that we should
have stayed so long. I wish you would
propose about Mrs. Swainson's lodgings
again, Marian, for——"

"For Heaven's sake don't mention Mrs.
Swainson's horrid lodgings again, mother.
Are you tired of your visit here?"

"No, my dear, not in the least; I'm very
happy, as happy as I ever expect to be
again in this world, but I know there's
such a thing as outstaying your welcome,
and——"

"Who has been putting such ideas into
your head? Not those horrible girls!
They have nothing to do with the arrangements
of the house, they—there, I always
lose my head when I think or speak of
them!"

"You do indeed, Marian; I cannot
imagine how it is that you and Maud and
Gertrude don't get on together. You always
seem to blaze up like I don't know what,
especially you and Maud! No, my dear,
the young ladies have always hoped we
should stay on, but that of course is
impossible, and——"

"Perhaps not impossible, mother!"

"Why not, my dear? Do you think
that?—oh no, thank you! I guess what
you mean; I'm an old woman, I know, but
I've still my faculties left, and I can see
through a millstone as well as most people
of my age, and though I'm not apt to be
—I forget the word, but you know what
I mean—I declare once for all I won't do
it!"

"Won't do what, mother! I declare I
have no notion what you mean."

"Oh yes you have, Marian. You heard
what Dr. Osborne, whom I never could
abide, but that's neither here nor there,
suggested about my becoming Mrs. Caddy,
or rather Mrs. Caddy's successor when she
went. I'm sure you, who talk of having a
spirit and a proper pride, ought to see that
I couldn't do that! Your poor father
wouldn't rest in his grave if he knew it!
You remember he never would let me do
anything with the boys' clothes, or hair
brushes, or that, always would have a
wardrobe woman, and now to think of my
becoming a housekeeper——"

"But, mother, there! you shall not worry
yourself with that idea any more, and still
we won't think just yet of Mrs. Swainson's
nasty lodging! Kiss me now, and let me
go! I've been keeping Mr. Creswell waiting
full ten minutes."

What change had come over Marian
Ashurst to cause her to speak in this way
to her mother, with flushed cheek, and
kindling eye, and elated look? What
hope was dawning over the deep of that
black, blank, sunless future, which she had
seen before her in all its miserable intensity,
its unavoidable dead level gloom, when
first she arrived on a visit at Wolgreaves?
What was the vision which during all that
period, but especially since Tom Creswell's
death, had haunted her, waking and sleeping,
in company and in solitude, had been
ever present to her thoughts, and had wrung
her heart and disturbed her mental peace
more keenly even than the thought of
poverty, the desire for wealth? Dare she do
it? She could, she had but little doubt of
that, but little doubt of Mr. Creswell's daily
increasing dependence on her, and regard
for her. There was no one else in the
world now, in whom he seemed to take the
slightest interest. He had been deeply
grieved at his son's death, laid up for
weeks afterwards, one would have thought
that life for him had lost all its zest and
flavour, but lately in going through his
business details with Marian, he had referred
to the dead lad almost calmly, and had
spoken of him, almost as he used to speak
of him in the days, when his brusquerie
and bad style, and consequent unpopularity,
were gall and wormwood to his father's
heart. She was thoroughly and entirely
essential to him. He had told her so.
He had said plainly enough that with no
one else, no paid hirelings, no clerk,
however trustworthy or confidentially employed,
could he have gone through the private
accounts, which showed the sources of his
revenue and its investment, and which had
dropped into almost hopeless confusion and
arrear; from which they were only rescued
by her quick apprehension, clear business
knowledge, and indefatigable industry. He
sat by in mute wonder, as she seized upon
each point as it was laid before her, and
stopped him in the midst of his verbose
and clumsy explanation, to show how clearly
she comprehended him, and how lightly
she undertook the unravelrnent of matters