and she was always crying,
often talking of death and dying, and brooding over sad things. When
the family physician who attended her was told how it was, he advised
that she should go to school, and mix with other children, and he
recommended The Abbey.

"The Mistresses Vaughan thought his advice good, so far as that Evelyn
might be the better for the company of other children. But they said
that no Miss Vaughan had ever been brought up at a school, for there
were sure to be some girls of low birth, and that they could not think
of their niece being herded with low people.

"After a long discussion, however, the old ladies yielded so far to the
opinion of the physician, that they determined to ask our governess to
permit Miss Vaughan to come to them every dancing day, and to join in
the dancing with the other girls.

"It was to ask this favour that the four old ladies came to the Abbey;
and it was then settled that Miss Vaughan was to come on every Friday
evening to dance with us, and to take her tea in the parlour with the
mistress.

"This high honour was made known through the house immediately after
the ladies were gone. Miss Evelyn was to be brought the first time by
her aunts, and afterwards by Mrs. Harris; and she was to come the very
next Friday.

"From that day, which was Wednesday, until the Friday afternoon, what a
bustle were all in; what trimming, and plaiting, and renewing, and
making anew, went forward! I was in deep mourning; and as Miss
Latournelle kept my best bombazine, and crapes, and my round black cap,
in her own press, I had nothing to think of; but our governess insisted
that all the other young ladies should have new caps on the occasion;
and as these were to be made in the house, there was enough to do.

"I could smile to think of the caps we wore at that time; our common
caps fitted the head exactly, and were precisely in the shape of bowls.
They were commonly made of what is called Norwich quilt, such as we now
see many bed-quilts made of, with a little narrow plaiting round the
edge. My common black caps were made of silk quilted in the same way.
Our best caps were of the same form: the foundation being of coloured
silk or satin, with gauze puffed over it, and in each puff either a
flower or a bit of ribbon, finished off to the fancy, with a plaited
border of gauze, and larger bunches of flowers peaked over each ear."

"Oh, grandmamma!" cried Emily, "how strange! Did not the children