m those of Mr. Lilburn.

"Oh I'm so frightened! so frightened, mamma!" cried the child, throwing
herself into her mother's arms.

"As you richly deserve to be," said Mrs. Carrington, taking her by the
hand and leading her into her dressing-room. "What were you doing in Mr.
Lilburn's apartments?"

Meta hung her head in silence.

"Speak, Meta; I will have an answer," her mother said, with
determination.

"I wasn't doing any harm; only putting away something that belonged
there."

"What was it?"

"A key."

"Meddling again! prying even into the affairs of a strange gentleman!"
groaned her mother. "Meta, what am I to do with you? this dreadful fault
of yours mortifies me beyond everything. I feel like taking you back to
Ashlands at once, and never allowing you to go from home at all; lest
you should bring a life-long disgrace upon yourself and me."

"Mother, I wasn't prying or meddling with Mr. Lilburn's affairs," said
Meta, bursting into sobs and tears.

"What were you doing there? tell me all about it without any more ado."

Knowing that her mother was a determined woman, and seeing that there
was now no escape from a full confession, Meta made it.

Mrs. Carrington was much distressed.

"Meta, you have robbed your Aunt Elsie, your Aunt Elsie who has always
been so good, so kind to me and to you: and I can never make good her
loss; never replace that plate."

"Just that one tiny plate couldn't be worth so very much," muttered the
offender.

"Its intrinsic value was perhaps not very great," replied Mrs.
Carrington, "but to my dear friend it was worth much as a memento of her
dead mother. Meta, you shall not go with us to-morrow, but shall spend
the day locked up in your own room at home."

An excursion had been planned for the next day, in which the whole
party, adults and children, were to have a share. They were to leave at
an early hour in the morning, travel several miles by boat, and spend
the day picnicking on a deserted plantation--one Meta had not yet seen,
but had heard spoken of as a very lovely place.

She had set her heart on going, and this decree of her mother came upon
her as a great blow. She was very fond of being on the water, and of
seeing new places, and had pictured to herself the delights of roaming
over the large old house, which she had heard was still standing,
peeping into the closets, pulling open drawers, perhaps discovering
secret stairways and--oh delightful thought!--poss