, and ran up to her mother,--

"_Ma mere_, don't you think I had better give my sixpence to the new
church? Grandmother would rather have a church near to go to, than a
pair of stockings next winter, I'm sure; and it would do good to so many
other people besides."

"As you like, _ma chere_," answered her mother: "it is your own money."

Not many days after this, there was a knock at the door after Mary had
returned from school, and Captain Crawford entered, now no stranger in
the cottages round, for the last few weeks had worked a wonderful change
in this respect. The first time he did a kindness to the poor, it was
because he could not help it; the second time it was because he had
found it pleasant; but the third time there was a shade of another
motive mingling with it. Ellen had told him why she was always happy;
she had told him where he might learn the way to be happy too better
than she could teach him. He had taken her advice, had read the Bible,
and now was humbly endeavouring to obey its commands; and in conformity
to his sister's entreaty, not to misspend his days of health, scarcely a
day was now permitted to pass without his doing something for the good
of his fellow-creatures. He always told the poor that he was come on a
message from his sister, lest they should be inclined to be grateful to
him, and make him blush, as the sick girl had done. Some questioned,
however, whether Miss Crawford told him always to add a franc or two to
the gift which she sent; or whether Miss Crawford dictated to him all
the "kind words" which now made him so welcome a visitor; and when the
old blind man complained of having no one to read to him, and Captain
Crawford took the Bible and read him "_deux superbes chapitres_," he was
quite sure that Miss Crawford had nothing at all to do with it.

His present visit to Mary's grandmother was to tell her that ten pounds
had been collected the Sunday before for the new church; and that as
some handsome contributions had been since received, he hoped she would
soon see it finished. Mary ran away as soon as she had let him in, and
soon came back with cheeks as red as fire, eyes cast down, and something
clasped very tight in her hand, looking altogether much more like a
thief than the good, honest little Mary that she was. But when Captain
Crawford got up to go away, she went to him, and as he stooped to hear
what she had to say, she repeated very quick, in a very low voice, the
litt