act, that they would always be cheerful in the presence of the
child, and meet their destiny bravely, that they might not give a somber
tinge to her young life. Everything went well with them as far as might
be, excepting that Louisita, who had the control over three cows, would
never let them have a drop of milk for Cora. The child had for a long
while after their coming, constantly repeated at every meal "Dinah, bing
milk." She seemed to think her negress nurse was somewhere near her, and
was able to bring anything she wished for, as formerly.

Her demands for milk, had ceased for a week or two, when one morning she
again begged for it, and when told she could not have any, a look of
extreme repression of feeling came over her features. She did not cry,
or in any way show temper. The food was distasteful to the poor little
thing; and the look of forced endurance, one may say that forced
resignation and endurance combined, which we sometimes see in older
faces and which is utterly discordant with their reasoning faculties,
was distressing to behold in one so young. The child could not
understand why she was not to have milk; but the brave spirit of her
mother was her birthright, and like her mother, she endured
disappointment without a murmur.

"This must not be any longer, Ada," said Miss Vyvyan. "It is too much
for you to witness, and for Cora to suffer. That dear child shall have
some milk. I will learn how, and I will milk one of those cows, whether
Louisita's sword kills me or not."

"Dear Anna," said Mrs. Carleton, "I pray you do not expose yourself to
danger; do not be rash. Why what has come to you? I never heard you
speak like that before."

"I know it, Ada, but you never saw me so placed else you would have. I
detest selfishness, and you have been so kind to Louisita, and she is
aware how precious Cora is to us. You know we shall not be depriving her
of anything, because she told us she threw most of the milk away; but
she encourages the cows to come here in order to keep them tame. You
recollect that she told you the rest of the herd which stay on the other
side of the island have become wild."

"I, of course, know that we should not be depriving Louisita," said Mrs.
Carleton; "but I fear so much that she may hurt you."

"Only teach me a few words of Spanish, Ada," said Miss Vyvyan, "and I
will put that out of her power. Teach me to say I am a spirit, you
cannot harm me."

"I am afraid, Anna; for you