! she was always an upright, noble-spirited child,' said Lady Merton.

'And now,' continued Anne, 'when she is much interested in anything,
when her brilliant dark eyes are lighted up, and her beautiful smile is
on her lips, and her whole face is full of brightness, and she looks
slight and airy enough to be a spirit, and when she is talking about
some things--I could fancy her some higher kind of creature.'

Lady Merton smiled. 'I think I know what you mean,' said she; 'I used
to feel something of the kind with her mother.'

'What a wonderful person Aunt Katherine must have been!' cried Anne.
She paused, and presently added, 'Mamma, I do not know whether I ought
to say so, but much as I like Mrs. Woodbourne, I do rather wonder that
Uncle Woodbourne married again.'

'So did your Papa and I,' said Lady Merton; 'but you must excuse him,
when you think of his three little girls, Elizabeth especially,
requiring such anxious care of body and mind.'

'But you do not think Mrs. Woodbourne could manage Lizzie?' said Anne.

'No,' said Lady Merton, 'she could not manage her in the least, but her
mild influence has, I think, been of great service to her. Lizzie has
certainly grown more gentle of late, and I think it is from
consideration for her and the little children.'

'And I suppose,' said Anne, 'that Mrs. Woodbourne has done as much for
Kate as anyone could.'

'Not quite,' said Lady Merton; 'I think your Aunt Katherine would have
made her a little less trifling and silly.'

'But no one could ever have made her like Lizzie,' said Aune.

'No, but I think she might have been rather more than a mere
good-natured gossip,' said Lady Merton.

'It is curious to see how much difference expression makes in those two
sisters,' said Anne; 'their features are so much alike, that strangers
never know them apart; the only difference between them, that I could
mention, is that Lizzie is the most delicate looking; yet how
exceedingly unlike they are to each other!'

'Yes,' said Lady Merton; 'though Lizzie's whole countenance and air is
almost exactly her mother's, yet there is nothing about Kate but her
voice, which they have in common, that reminds me of her.'

'Helen is very unlike the others in everything,' said Anne.

'Helen will be the handsomest as far as regularity of features goes,'
said Lady Merton.

'Do you think so?' said Anne.

'Certainly,' said Lady Merton; 'her features are less prominent, and
her colour has