carried home, but she
was very ill for many days; and I may truly say never perfectly
recovered from that time.

"But now, my dear children," added grandmamma, "I begin to feel tired,
and have only finished half my story; if all is well, we will come here
to-morrow, and then I shall hope to finish it."

"I wish it was to-morrow," said Henry: and his sisters joined in the
wish.

[Illustration: "_To hang flowers round its neck._"--Page 445.]

Grandmamma's History of Evelyn Vaughan. Part II.

[Illustration: Miss Anne Vaughan led her niece by the hand]

When they were all seated, the next day, in the shade of Henry's
arbour, grandmamma began her story without more delay.

"I am now," she said, "come to the time when I became acquainted with
Evelyn Vaughan myself."

"I was left early without parents, my dear children; for my father died
when I was a baby, and my mother when I was ten years of age. I was
sent, after her death, being of course in deep mourning, to the school
kept in the old Abbey at Reading, and there was then a very full
school, above sixty girls. It was a large old house, added to a gateway
which was older still; and it was called The Abbey, because it lay
within the grounds of the ancient monastery, the ruins of which still
remain, the gateway itself being a part of this very ancient
establishment."

"The school was kept by certain middle-aged unmarried sisters; and we
had many teachers, and among these a Miss Latournelle, who taught us
English after a fashion, and presided over our clothes. I was under
her care, and slept in her room, which was one of those in the gateway;
and though she was always scolding me about some untidiness, she was
very kind to me. She was young then, but always in my eyes looked old,
having a limping gait, and a very ordinary person.

"I cannot say what we were taught in that house beyond a few French
phrases and much needlework. I was not there many years, but my
school-days passed happily, for we were not exhausted with our
learning, which in these days often destroys the spirit of children. We
spent much time in the old and pleasant garden; and I had several dear
friends, all of whom are now dead.

"The first time that I saw Miss Evelyn was on the first Sunday I went
to church with the school. We went to St. Lawrence's, which is near The
Abbey, and we sat in the gallery, from which we had a full view of the
pew then occupied by the Vaughans. They always