settled at first that this would nobly ornament the whole of one side;
but it popped into Sydney's head, just as he was falling asleep one
night, how pretty it would be to stick it round with the planets. So
the planets were cut out in white, and shaded with Indian ink. There
was no mistaking Saturn with his ring, or Jupiter with his moons. At
length, all was done, and the cook was glad to hear that no more paste
would be wanted, and the little girls might soon leave off giggling when
Miss Young asked them, in the schoolroom, why they were jogging one
another's elbows. Mr Grey spared one of his men to deposit the
precious piece of handiwork at Miss Young's lodging; and there, when she
went home one cold afternoon, she found the screen standing between the
fire and the door, and, pinned on it, a piece of paper, inscribed, "A
Token of friendly Affection."

This was not, however, the only, nor the first, gift with which Maria's
parlour was enriched. Amidst all the bustle of furnishing the Hopes'
house, Margaret had found time to plan and execute a window-curtain for
her friend's benefit; and another person--no other than Philip Enderby--
had sent in a chaise-longue, just the right size to stand between the
fire and the table. It had gone hard with Maria to accept this last
gift; but his nephew and nieces were Philip's plea of excuse for the
act; and this plea cut her off from refusing: though in her heart she
believed that neither the children nor ancient regard were in his
thoughts when he did it, but rather Margaret's affection for her. For
some time, this chaise-longue was a couch of thorns; but now affairs had
put on a newer aspect still, and Maria forgot her own perplexities and
troubles in sympathy with her friend.

There was nothing to quarrel with in the look of the chaise-longue, when
Margaret entered Maria's room in the twilight, in the afternoon of the
appointed Thursday.

"Reading by fire-light?" said Margaret.

"I suppose I am: but it had not occurred to me--the daylight went away
so softly. Six o'clock, I declare! The days _are_ lengthening, as we
say every year. But we will have something better than firelight, if
you will be so kind as to set those candles on the table."

The time was long put when Maria thought of apologising for asking her
friend to do what her lameness rendered painful to herself. Margaret
laid aside her bonnet and cloak behind the screen, lighted the candles,
put more co