wn-stairs to try and
appease the indignant lodgers, who protested, and with truth, that they
had rung, rung, rung, and no one answered the bell; that they wanted
tea, that Miss Webster had undertaken to wait on them, that they were
_not_ waited on, and that accordingly they would seek other lodgings on
the morrow, they would, &c., &c. "Miss Webster, ma'am, is very ill
to-night. She has a young careless servant girl, and is, I assure you,
very much distressed that you should be put out thus. I will bring up
your tea, ma'am, in five minutes, if you will allow me. It is very
disagreeable for you, but I am sure if you could see the poor woman,
ma'am, you would pity her." Mrs. Harmer did pity her only from Emilie's
simple account of her state, and declared she was very sorry she had
seemed angry, but the girl did not say her mistress was ill, only that
she was lying down, which appeared very disrespectful and inattentive,
when they had been waiting two hours for tea.

The shop was by this time cleared up, and Lucy was able to attend to the
lodgers. Whilst Emilie having applied the rags soaked in the lotion
which had arrived, proceeded to get Miss Webster a warm and neatly
served cup of tea.

It would have been very cheering to hear a pleasant "thank you;" but
Miss Webster received all these attentions with stiff and almost silent
displeasure. Do not blame her too severely, a hard struggle was going
on; but the law of kindness is at work, and it will not fail.

CHAPTER SEVENTH.

BETTER THINGS.

"Ah, if Miss Schomberg had asked me to wait on _her_, how gladly would I
have done it, night after night, day after day, and should have thought
myself well paid with a smile; but to sit up all night with a person,
who cares no more for me, than I for her, and that is nothing! and then
to have to get down to-morrow and attend to the shop, all the same as if
I had slept well, is no joke. Oh, dear me! how sleepy I am, two o'clock!
I was to change those rags at two; I really scarcely dare attempt it,
she seems so irritable now." So soliloquized Lucy, who, kindhearted as
she was, could not be expected to take quite so much delight in nursing
her cross mistress, who never befriended her, as she would have done a
kinder, gentler person; but Lucy read her Bible, and she had been
trying, though not so long as Emilie, nor always so successfully it
must be owned, to live as though she read it.

"Miss Webster, ma'am, the doctor sai