ll sleep a little
while;" and Emilie stood and held her hand, stood till she was faint and
weary, and then withdrawing it as gently as ever mother unloosed an
infant's hold, she withdrew, shaded the light from the sleeper's eyes,
and stole out of the room, leaving the sufferer at ease, and in one of
those heavy sleeps which exhaustion and illness often produce.

Her visit to the kitchen was most discouraging. Betsey was only just
down, and the kettle did not boil, nor were any preparations made for
the lodgers' breakfast, to which it only wanted an hour. Emilie could
have found it in her heart to scold the lazy, selfish girl, who had
enjoyed a sound sleep all night, whilst Lucy had gone unrefreshed to
her daily duties, but she forebore. "Scolding never does answer,"
thought Emilie, "and I won't begin to-day, but I must try and reform
this girl at all events, by some means, and that shall be done at once."

"Come, Betsey," said Emilie pleasantly, "now, we shall see what sort of
a manager you will be; you must do all you can to make things tidy and
comfortable for the lodgers. Is their room swept and dusted?"

"Oh, deary me, Miss, what time have I had for that, I should like to
know?"

"Well now, get every thing ready for their breakfast, and pray don't
bang doors or make a great clatter with the china, as you set the table.
Every sound is heard in this small house, and your mistress has had no
sleep all night."

"Well, she'll be doubly cross to day, then, I'll be bound. Howsoever, I
shall only stay my month, and it don't much matter what I do, she never
gives a servant a good character, and I don't expect it."

"No, and you will not deserve it if you are inattentive and unfeeling
now. It is not doing as you would be done by, either. Do now, Betsey,
forget, for a few days, that Miss Webster ever scolded or found fault
with you. If you want to love any one just do him a kindness, and you
don't know how fast love springs up in the heart; you would be much
happier, Betsey, I am sure. Come _try_, you are not a cross girl, and
you don't mean to be unkind now. I shall expect to hear from Lucy, when
I come again, how well you have managed together."

Fred went to Mr. Crosse's after breakfast, in the pony gig, for aunt
Agnes, who, at a summons from Emilie, was quite willing to come and see
after Miss Webster's household. She soon put mutters into a better
train, both in kitchen and parlour, so that the pacified lodgers
co