hope of recovering her ring which
brought her thus early to the magistrate's. Her brother was satisfied
to stay and listen, when he found that Hester knew as yet nothing of the
matter. It was a clear case that the Greys must find some other
guardian for the nights that Mr Grey spent from home; and Dr Levitt
said that no man was justified in leaving his family unprotected for a
single night in such times as these. He spoke with the deepest concern
of the state of the neighbourhood this winter, and of his own inability
to preserve security, by his influence either as clergyman or
magistrate. The fact was, he said, that neither law nor gospel could
deter men from crime, when pressed by want, and hardened against all
other claims by those of their starving families. Such times had never
been known within his remembrance; and the guardians of the public peace
and safety were almost as much at their wits' end as the sickly and
savage population they had to control. He must to-day consult with as
many of his brother magistrates as he could reach, as to what could be
done for the general security and relief.

As Hope and Margaret returned home to breakfast, they agreed that their
little household was more free to discharge the duties of such a time
than most of their neighbours of their own rank could possibly be. They
had now little or nothing of which they could be robbed. It was
difficult to conceive how they could be further injured. They might
now, wholly free from fear and self-regards, devote themselves to
forgive and serve their neighbours. Such emancipation from care as is
the blessing of poverty, even more than of wealth, was theirs; and, as a
great blessing in the midst of very tolerable evil, they felt it.
Margaret laughed, as she asked Edward if he could spare a few pence to
buy horn spoons in the village, as all the silver ones were gone.

Hester was not at all too much alarmed or disturbed, when she missed her
watch, and heard what had happened. She was chiefly vexed that she had
slept through it all. It seemed so ridiculous that the master of the
house should be safe at a distance, and the mistress comfortably asleep,
during such an event, leaving it to sister, maid, and guest, to bear all
the terror of it!

Dr Levitt's absence of mind did not interfere with the activity of his
heart, or with his penetration in cases where the hearts of others were
concerned. He perceived that the lost turquoise w