worsted knitting in her hand, and began to
talk. Her talk was all of her son. What
" Benjy" said, and did, and thought,
furnished an inexhaustible source of interest
to her life.

"Ah, I wish I'd known more of you in
days past, Miss Desmond, love," which
Mrs. Plew invariably pronounced loove.
"Well, well, bygones are bygones, and
talking mends nothing." Mrs. Plew paused,
heaved a deep sigh, and proceeded.

"To-day Benjy went to the vicarage to
ask yon here, and, when he came back, I
saw in his face that minute that he had
been upset. ' Anything wrong at Shipley
Vicarage, Benjy,' I said. ' No, mother,'
says he. 'I'll tell you by-and-bye.' With
that he went upstairs into his own room.
I heard his step on the boards overhead;
and then all was as still as still, for better
than an hour. After that, he came down and
stood, with his hat on ready to go out, at the
door of the parlour. And he said, ' There's
good news for Mr. Levincourt, mother.' And
then he told me — what I have no need to
tell you, love, for you know it already. And
as soon as he'd told it he went out. And
do you know, Miss Desmond, that for all
he kept his face in shadow, and spoke
quite cheerful, I could see that he'd — he'd
been shedding tears. He had indeed, love!"

"Oh, Mrs. Plew."

"Aye, it is dreadful to think of a grown
man crying, my dear. But it was so.
Though I never set up to be a clever woman,
there's no one so sharp as me to see the
truth about my son. If ever you're a
mother yourself, you'll understand that,
love. Well, I sat and pondered, after he
was gone. And I thought to myself, 'well
now this one thing is certain; she's far and
away out of his reach for evermore. And
now, perhaps, that things have turned out
so, that there's no need for any one to fret
and pine about what's to become of her, it
may be that Benjy will put his mind at
rest, and pluck up a spirit, and think of
doing what I've so long wanted him to do.'"

Maud knew not what to say. She felt
ashamed for Veronica before this man's
mother, as she had not yet felt ashamed for
her. At length she faltered out, "What is
it that you wish your son to do, Mrs. Plew?"

"Why, to marry, my dear young lady:
I ain't one of those mothers that wants
their children to care for nobody but them.
It isn't natural nor right. If my Benjy
could but have a good wife, to take care of
him when I am gone, I should be quite
happy.

The recollection of Miss Turtle came
into Maud's mind, and she said, impulsively
(blushing violently the moment the words
were out), " I saw Mrs. Meggitt's governess
this afternoon."

Mrs. Plew had put on her spectacles to
see her knitting, and she glanced over them
at Maud with her pale blue eyes, half
surprised, half pleased.

"To be sure! Miss Turtle. She's a
very good young woman, is Miss Turtle. I'm
sure she has been very kind and attentive
to me, and it don't make me the less grateful,
because I see very well that all the
kindness is not for my sake. I suppose
she spoke to you of Benjy?"

"Yes."

"Ah, to be sure she would! She's very
fond of Benjy, is Miss Turtle, poor thing."

"Does — does Mr. Plew like her?" asked
Maud, timidly.

"Oh yes, Miss Desmond, love, he liked
her. He don't do more than like her at
present I'm afraid. But that might come,
if he would but make up his mind."

"Miss Turtle seems very fond of you,
ma'am," said Maud, involuntarily recalling
the " Mother of the Gratchy."

"Why I do believe she likes me, poor
little thing. She talks a bit of nonsense
now and again, about my being so
noble-minded and devoted to my son. And
once she said, that if she was in my place,
she was sure that she could never have the
sparkling virtue to give up his affections to
another woman, be she ten times his wife.

"The — the what virtue?"

"Sparkling, I think she said. But my
hearing is treacherous at times. But, la,
my love, that's only her flummery. She
means no harm. And she's good-tempered,
and healthy, and industrious, and—
Look here, Miss Desmond, love," continued
the old woman, laying her withered hand
on Maud's arm, and lowering her voice
mysteriously ; " you have heard Miss Turtle
talk. Any one can see with half an eye
how fond she is of Benjy. She makes no
secret of it. Now, if, whenever you've a
chance to speak to Benjy — I know he goes
to the vicarage pretty well every day— if
you would just say a word for poor Miss
Turtle, and try to advise him like — "

"Oh, Mrs. Plew, how could I do such a
thing? I am not old enough, nor wise
enough, to take the liberty of offering my
advice to Mr. Plew, especially on such a
subject."

"But I don't want you to say it plain
right out, you know. Just drop a word