Modern Broods

od to wish, ask

at thou canst n

ey Col

nd neatly kept. The same might be said of the room, where heavy old-fashioned furniture, handsome but not new, was concealed by various fli

on of the surroundings. She was herself a quiet-looking, gentle lady, rather small, with a sweet mouth and eyes of hazel, in a rather worn face, dressed in a

air rough and uncovered, and her dress of well-used black silk, her complexion of the red that shows

t true? May I co

rescott, breathlessly. "I suppose

t home at one. Or sh

e to have a little time with you first

our things. I do not know

comfortable bedroom, evidently serving also the purposes of a priv

report from her cousins, and they have b

ief, it is not exactly affluence. I have been with Mr. Bell going into the matter and seeing the place," said Miss Prescott, sitting comfo

ons it at abou

an es

vonshire valley, with the furn

ncy that it is at least as

hat they would have he

schoolfellows; one cannot hel

said Miss Prescott, smiling. "Well, their

he family," said Mrs. Best. "Of course not

ugh she consented to be my godmother. She offered to adopt me on my mother's death, and once when my father married agai

it your duty to go and work for your po

old lady was affronted for good, and never took any more notice of me, nor answered my letters. I

e first stiffness had worn off, and they were together again, as had been the solicitor's daughter and the

sh you had the go

all fight for me," said Mrs. Best, who had been bravely presiding over a high-school boarding-house ever since her husband, a railw

es when their mother died. I don't know how to be thankful enough to you and for all the blessings we have

dee

e Colonel is going to take a house at Shrewsbury, where

een there s

tle boys from India, so that she had an excuse for retaining me; but that is over now, or will be in a few weeks time. I ha

your art, and m

rewith Agatha's earnest appeal to be sent to Girton, there comes this inheritance! Taki

taking another

can only think as yet of having my dear girls to myself, moi,

nate. Epidemics have been

sles, and I could not go and carry infection. Oh! and then Freddy broke his leg, and his grandmother

ly was,

za to every one. And these last holidays! What should the newly-come little one from India do, but catch a fever in the Red Sea, and I had to keep guard

u have been with them, except for

nt reader; she would hardly look at me, so absorbed was she

ow. I conclude that you wi

over their heads. Besides, you have so mothered them, dea

to Queensland with him, perhaps I should have asked you to take this house off my hands. May be it would be prude

I have a perfect longing for

o what they have had access to here. There is a good deal t

o be in despair

it a fad of the examiners, but perhaps our headmistress might not say the same. She

at least, and by the time her course is finis

taking them in

teach my own kin, and not endless s

I can give them here. You will take them into a fresh sphere, and-as things were-besides

I am quite certain you would never le

on't think I should have asked you to consent to Vera and The

, a very nice boy; and Jessie Dale went to school wi

arden that gets the prizes at the horticultural shows. They are thoroughly good people, but I was afraid afterwards that there had be

lrios! Are

a good deal of talent, and very prudently has got taken on by the firm of Eccles and Co., who do a great deal of architectural decoration

not very

ot go with Thekla, because Waring Grange is far from church, and she would not disturb her Christmas and Epi

ther off than ever! Or perhaps you will fulfil

ere is a Sister Angela at the station who does wonders with t

t holidays. Oh! Sophy, I cannot find words to say how thankful I am to you for havin

though I did not gain by them like my other boarders, I never lost, and they

mother died, and Aunt Magdalen refused help, and how despairingly I prayed, I f

hat you might be enabled to do the

unds, shillings, and pence, which was just concluded when the patter of feet up th

a privileged favourite, a little person of ten years old, with flying

ed in dispensing Irish stew. She had a sensible face, to which projecting teeth gave a character, and a brow that would have shown itself finer but for the overhanging mass of hair. Vera and Paulina were so much alike and so nearly of the same age that they were often taken for twins, but on closer inspection Vera proved to be the prettiest, with a more delicately cut nose, clearer complexion, and bluer eyes; bu

course had just been distributed, she looked up with a great pair of grey eye

dear," returned Magdalen,

a fortune?" undaunt

out it after dinner." And Magdalen felt her c

Best

such things at table, Thekla. Take care with the

y long one,

words in the Revised Version," adde

en very interestin

ome back because she was down with influenza; and Magdalen, suspecting that "shop" was not talked at table, and also that the Scripture passage c

emselves for the half hour before Magdalen's train, and the young ones' return to the High School. She was at once established with

s left me a house and some money; but you must n

ve a bicycle?" be

Agatha. "But, sister, you do mean that we shall be bet

omise you so much," said Magdal

Girton?" cr

I must inquire abo

s a bicycle, and she is no o

r kindly; "I will talk to Mrs. Best, and see

ans a little more in detail; seeing however that the girls had no idea of the value of

and pair, and a but

carriage it will be only a basket or

gatha. "I would not be ric

ng. "Our home, the Goyle, is not more than

the name

y, a narrow ravine. It is lovely even now, and w

" asked Vera. "I shall

wonderful goodness in keeping you on cheaper terms; but if Agatha go

Shall I have always h

ery trained cachinnation, but more of the gi

to mention Mrs. Best's intention of soon giving up her house, which would have much increased her difficulties but for her legacy; and Agatha said, "

en, and she said, "Well, I shall be able to judge

e, and Madame Lardner thinks it would answer to send h

e school; and accordingly the whole party walked up together to the school, Magdalen with Agatha, who was chiefly occupied in explaining how entirely it was o

to each of them as they parted. Agatha thanked her in a tone as if afraid to betray what a boon it was; Vera, with an eager kiss, asking if she could spend it as she lik

ood abilities quite worth cultivating, though not extraordinary; that Vera had a certain sort of cleverness, but no application and not much taste for anything but music; and that Paulina

dred blood rising within her, to complete her term with Lady Milsom, by whom she could not