at Brocksopp, and go over there next week;
and Sam Baker, who is very much grown,
and of whom Mr. Benthall speaks very
highly. They all asked very kindly after
you, mother!"

"I'm very much obliged to them, my
dear. I shan't trouble them long, and —- "

"Now, don't you remember your
promise, never to talk in that way again?"

"Well, my dear, I won't if you don't
like it. As for myself —— however, no
matter! And did you walk back with
Mr. Cresswell?"

"Yes, mother. Maud and Gertrude
hurried on, and Mr. Creswell and I came
leisurely after."

"You'll become quite old-fashioned, if
you're so much with Mr. Creswell, Marian.
Though why I say 'become,' I'm sure I
don't know. You've always been
old-fashioned from a child up."

"And am likely to remain so, dear, to
all appearances!" said Marian, with a
soft smile, bending down and kissing her
mother's forehead. "Have you taken your
medicine? No! Then let me give it to
you!" She went to a small cabinet, and
brought out a tumbler and a spoon.

"I'm very glad you thought of the
medicine, Marian," said the old lady; "not
that it does me the least good, let Dr.
Osborne say what he may, but because
your fetching those things from that place
reminded me of something I wanted to say
to you. I've been all this morning — ever
since I finished reading the Lessons—I've
been going through the furniture in that
parlour of Mrs. Swainson's in my mind,
and I'm perfectly certain there's nothing,
not even a common cupboard, to lock up
anything!"

"Isn't there, mother?" said Marian,
wearily.

"Isn't there? No indeed there is nothing,
dear! Though you don't seem to think
much about it, it's a very serious thing.
Of course, one would keep the tea and
sugar in the caddy, but there are many
little odds and ends that ought to be locked
up, and — are you listening to me, Marian?"

"Yes, mother!" she said, but her looks
belied her words. She was leaning against
the mantelpiece, her head resting on her
hand, and her thoughts were evidently far
away.

"I wonder you had not noticed that,
Marian, when we went over the lodgings,"
pursued Mrs. Ashurst. "You're generally
such a one to notice these kind of things,
and I've been used to depend upon you, so
that I think nothing about them. What
shall we do about that? I suppose Mrs.
Swainson would not be inclined to buy a
cabinet — a second-hand one would do
perfectly —- "

"I don't think we need go into the
question. We shall never go to Mrs.
Swainson's lodgings!"

"No? What shall we do then?"

"Remain here!"

"Well, my dear," said the old lady, "if
you change your plans so often, how am I
possibly to know where we're going, or
what we're going to do? Not that I want
to be consulted, but I really might as well
be a chair or a table for the manner in
which I'm treated. I thought you said,
not more than a fortnight ago, that it was
impossible we could stop here any longer?"

"So I did, mother! But circumstances
have changed since then. This morning,
as we walked from church, Mr. Creswell
asked me to become his wife!"

"His wife! Mr. Creswell! You to — and
you accepted him?"

"I did!"

The old lady fell back in her chair, her
eyes closed, her hands fluttering nervously
before her. Marian ran to her mother and
knelt by her side, but Mrs. Ashurst
revived almost immediately— revived
sufficiently to place her hand round her
daughter's neck and to whisper in her ear,
"For my sake?"

"I don't understand you, dearest
mother!"

"For my sake? You've done this for my
sake! that I may be comfortable and happy
for the rest of my life, that I may have
these things, luxuries" — pointing with her
hand round the room. "You've sacrificed
yourself! It must not be, listen, Marian—
it must not be!"

"Darling mother, you're all wrong,
indeed you are — you're quite mistaken."

"Marian, it must not be! I'm a weakly
woman I know, but what answer should I
make to your dear father when I meet him
again — soon now, very soon, please God! — if
I permitted this thing? What would he
say if he learned that I was selfish enough
to permit you to sacrifice yourself, you whom
he so worshipped, to become the wife of an
old man, in order that I might profit by it? .
What would he think of Mr. Creswell,
who pretended to be his friend, and who
would——"

"Mother, dearest mother, you must not
speak against Mr. Creswell, please! Recollect,
he is to be my husband!"