dear, how things will turn out. Do
you remember Miss Stevenson, that married a gentleman her family all
thought a great deal of, and he turned out a swindler, and--?"

The girls burst out a-laughing, and Maria assured Morris that she could
answer for no accident of that kind happening with regard to Mr Hope.
Morris laughed too, and said she did not mean that, but only that she
never saw anybody more confident of everything going right than Miss
Stevenson and all her family; and within a month after the wedding, they
were in the deepest distress. That was what she meant: but there were
many other ways of distress happening.

"There is death, my dears," she said. "Remember death, Miss Margaret."

"Indeed, Morris, I do," said Margaret. "I never thought so much of
death as I have done since Mr Hope's accident, when I believed death
was coming to make us all miserable; and the more I have since recoiled
from it, the oftener has the thought come back."

"That is all right, my dear: all very natural. It does not seem natural
to undertake any great new thing in life, without reminding one's self
of the end that must come to all our doings. However, I trust my master
and mistress, and you, have many a happy year to live."

"I like those words, Morris. I like to hear you speak of your master
and mistress, it has such a domestic sound! Does it not make one feel
at home, Maria? Yes, Morris, there I shall sit, and feel so at ease! so
at home, once more!"

"But there may be other--." Morris stopped, and changed her mood. She
stepped to the closet, and opened the door, to show Miss Young the
provision of shelves and pegs; and pointed out the part of the room
where she had hoped there would be a sofa. She should have liked that
Miss Margaret should have had a sofa to lie down on when she pleased.
It seemed to her the only thing wanting. Margaret gaily declared that
nothing was wanting. She had never seen a room more entirely to her
taste, though she had inhabited some that were grander.

By the time the little breakfast-room had been duly visited, and it had
been explained that the other small parlour must necessarily be kept for
a waiting-room for Mr Hope's patients, and the young ladies had
returned to the drawing-room, Maria was in full flow of sympathy with
the housekeeping interests and ideas which occupied, or rather amused,
her companion. Women do inevitably love housekeeping, unless
educational or other im