Mrs. Dorriman, Volume 3 of 3

d about, went out, and in all ways seemed to be her old self as far as bodily health went, she remaine

ing we have longed for-perhaps unduly-is given to us in a manner tha

en very ill herself, and now, here was Margaret, a widow and childless, and her dreams must equally vanish. At the beginning she had bee

little, or do something more than pace that tiresome li

asked if she would see Lady Lyons. It was, at all e

some, was immensely flattered by the excuses Grace made for Margaret, and her evident pleasure at her visit; her one unflattering refle

nce was only problematical. Imagine what her wishes were n

to nothing, and her talk was of Margaret, and ever Margaret. Was she

e thing. I never saw it. No, Margaret is not getting over it. She never smiles, and at night

ady Lyons, without a

race gave a long sigh. "When I heard your name it was such a godsend. Do you know I positively have not spoken to a

being with your sister," said

quite suddenly in her fertile brain; "not in the very least. No, Lady Lyons, what I mean

s worn as it used to be, and now people take to kilting crape it takes away from the blackness

ut myself up for months and months. No, Lady Lyons, I have a plan, but I do not see muc

manner and by her words, "I came to call upon your sister; will you be so good as t

hey say, or only a little bit of one, and I will not be ill or anything. Now I will tell you what I mean to do. I mea

at lady would care to do this; th

mly; "but she must know everybody, heaps of peopl

ons. "In the swim! What do you me

ul will

she called him Paul! Lady Ly

,'" she said, stiffly, "what

little though he is young;

"I hope he knows the world too well to be a victim to

n call Paul a man, he is so very young; that was what I said to him only the other day. And about a position you would like, you mean your so

h ... unfeminine sentiments," and

"I hope I have not offended you, Lady Lyons; but you know I am one of the people who never can h

very much ruffled; "the opinion of a young lady who does

as very seldom, the good people did not know what to do, because scolding I never minded a bit, and hard sayings never hit

curiously different. Do you never vex her, Miss R

hard to hide them, but Lady Lyons saw them, and they melted her a little. "Ah!" she said,

ried with her a most confused impression of the girl who had made fun of her at one moment and shown very bad

f civilization has a levelling effect, underneath are many varieties of character, and tha

ympathy to Margaret's desolation, and yet who also now felt that she was bec

was

nate she had felt the death of the little child for he

ntemplation, conscious, through the fine natural instinct that belonged to her, that if the habit of solitude, of mournin

atered with tears, must be used to turn her thoughts to living c

as she had often done before, to the little corner, where the poor young mother wept and meditated, recal

d Margaret stood like a frail shadow in her long black robes, "have

here," said Margaret,

ean, stoutly; "it is here that I want to sh

laimed Margaret, twining her thin white finge

ust claim the money, and spend the money. You must spen

ll me ho

ow nothing else to fill your mind. Look round you, my bairn; see where others suffer

red Margaret, in

ousands of children who die because they cannot ge

nd Margaret was startled in

leave the highways alone and see for yourself. When I lost my way the day I took a letter from you to the bank I saw a sight that set my heart aching

d do would be such a

rops? We can all do but little-but

an I b

nd say-'I do not want this money, but I want to help childr

me a glow of warmer feeling for humanity. The selfishness of her sorrow grew less, and, as she once again knelt in prayer beside the flower-covered grave, she did not pray for

en them; but when they reached home she stopped in the hall, and, pu

. She had owned to herself she was selfish, and she bravely tried to turn her whole attention to her sister's enthusiastic

ith an air as though, however repugnant to her own feelings,

et would have shrunk from such a question? Now it was wit

ourn with me; you have no memory of my child. No, do

Margaret. Then I m

trying hard to enter entirely into th

wirled round the room, enchanted at this first

oked at her

ected me to use ... his mon

o do so many things for me. I had set my heart upon going to London and upon having nice things;

very wonderful, she thought, because Grace had been very ill and near the gates of the eternal life, and such an illness must be, in some ways, like a great sorrow, and must surely have made the

g her sister towards her, "I want you to l

ne my disappointment! I thought, once you got better and ... forgot, that it would be all right again, and tha

ng about it. I sinned in marrying him, and I should perpetuate the sin if I spent his wealth upon me and mine. I

"really, Margaret, you are so high-flown and so ridiculous! Of course, taking it in that way, one would not expect you to

he heart, dear, that you, my own sister, cannot understand me b

re you whenever I think of it I could cry. Don't think, because I don't want to wear black, that I am

site her sister; her countenance was lit up

poor, unhappy man; I kept away from him; I avoided him; I lived but for my child. Then, when the end came, and I had to stand by and see it die-die because the help ex

e was mad?" asked Grace;

before God's altar-Oh, Grace, you are very dear to me, but, when you talk of my sacrifice being thrown away, I think of my child's life sacrificed. Oh, Grace, can you not see

or me-and it does seem different.

feverishly. "But I did it. We need not argue about it, dear; we need not discuss it any more, we should

main poor all your life, and to let these things s

," said Margaret firmly, "

and Grace again

strong, and she felt all this cruelly. She let

ted, Grace, I might see if it c

indness. She was deeply wounded by her sister's u

of you. Because you have done with your life, and cannot thi

a full life-interest in some one thing. All the poetical side of her nature began once more to thrill her. The world had much that was sad in it, but there were yet depths unsounded of which she was vaguely aware, and till she knew them she would not proclaim all was over for her even here. The glow of returning health, the beauty

ration of the other upon a matter so essentially mundane as a brown velvet dress, for Grace counted it as one of her claims

ght her down to worldly matters very soon by her anx

rly; "and, if you are going to arrange matter

e spoke, and watched her

s and other things. Of course, if I do manage to carry out my plan, you must have clothes and things

she brightened a little, she said, cheerfully-"I believ

l about your health? You are marvellously well just now, but you know yourself, dea

be horrid now you are just b

id Margaret, wit

ink over the plan she had made. She was resolved to be indebted to no one. If he

he wanted to find the address of the publisher who had expres

ollected that Sir Albert Gerald had carried out all the arr

ted but that the change would be equal as regarded him. Her letter was direct, simple, and free from all allusion to her sorrow. She said she wanted to be put into direct communication with the friendly publisher-then she added, "I want to make some money. This may sur

waited

helping little children and others. When I have arranged everything, may I come to you and Uncle Sandford. I shall not be very poor because I believe I have it in my power to make

s letter with the most

dford the name he had always wished to hear from her. The fact of her o

en both tender and affectionate. She tried to prove that her forgiveness was complete, and she cou

ng her as though something was still between them, and that helpless

tired, and she saw that he

e of those trivial remarks people are apt to make

ill care to come here," he said

ed a little. "Margaret offers to co

re and more," he said, as it

ed, looking a little anx

," he asked, as though putting the plai

suggestion filled her with such intense

o resign my chairmanship and other things

f, and to accept this new turn in her affairs quietly,

matter-of-fact tone, "It will be a long

d made for her, I heard from Stevens, and have been in correspondence with him ever

ae, brother, might she

Stevens here;" and then he continued in a strange t

wish

thing," he exclaimed, with somethin

he go on like this? why constantly t

and talk, and wonder; go and see the few neighbours with whom you have made acquaintance and speak of

ut you,

is nearly over. What does it all matter to me? But

ll, I will no

, but there is something that hur

ll was followed by th

arrival of a box

h held so much that was important to her, and when she saw it it gave her a little shoc

do me one great favour: Will you not look at the contents of th

ngled feeling, half dreading half anxious to know its co