ngs for her purposes, but frequently regretting that certain
beautiful and imposing pieces of furniture were entirely unsuited to the
capacity of her rooms and hallways. But when her dining-room should be
finished, and the room above it, she would have better opportunity of
gratifying her taste for handsome wood in imposing designs. Then it
might be that Harrington would not be able to give her anything good
enough.

Her daily mail was now much larger than it ever had been before.
Business people sent her cards and circulars, and every now and then she
received letters calling her attention to charities or pressing personal
needs of the writers, but there were not very many of these; for
although it was generally known that Mrs. Cliff had come into a
fortune, her manner of living seemed also a matter of public knowledge.
Even the begging letters were couched in very moderate terms; but all
these Mrs. Cliff took to Mr. Perley, and, by his advice, she paid
attention to but very few of them.

Day by day Mrs. Cliff endeavored to so shape and direct her fortunes
that they might make her happy in the only ways in which she could be
happy, but her efforts to do so did not always gain for her the approval
of her fellow townspeople. There were some who thought that a woman who
professed to have command of money should do a good many things which
Mrs. Cliff did not do, and there were others who did not hesitate to
assert that a woman who lived as Mrs. Cliff should not do a great many
things which she did do, among which things some people included the
keeping of a horse and carriage. It was conceded, of course, that all
this was Mrs. Cliff's own business. She had paid the money she had
borrowed to go to South America; she had been very kind to some of the
poor people of the town, and it was thought by some had been foolishly
munificent to old Mrs. Bradley, who, from being a very poor person
threatened with the loss of her home, was now an independent
householder, and enjoyed an annuity sufficient to support her.

More than that, Mrs. Cliff had been very generous in regard to the
church music. It was not known exactly how much she had given towards
this object, but there were those who said that she must have given her
means a considerable strain when she made her contribution. That is, if
the things were to be done which Mr. Perley talked about.

When Mrs. Cliff heard what had been said upon this subject,--and Willy
Croup was