isgrace to any one to have worked hard, and it certainly
cannot be a disadvantage in this country."

"It was rough."

"You are not very rough, Eliza. It strikes me that you have been pretty
carefully trained and taught."

"Yes, I was that"--with satisfaction. "But don't you think, if I got on,
grand people would always look down at me if they knew I'd lived so
common? And besides, I'm sometimes afraid the man that went shares at
the land with father will want to find me."

"But you said you told him you were coming away."

"I told him, plain and honest; but I had a long way to walk till I got
to the train, and I just went off. But he won't find it so easy to fill
my place, and get some one to do the housework! He'd have kept me, if he
could; and if he heard where I was he might come and try to get me back
by saying father said I was to obey him till I was twenty-one."

"If your father said--that--"

"No," cried the girl, vehemently, "he never did."

"You will hear from your uncle in Scotland?" said Sophia.

"I don't believe he'll write to me. I don't believe he lives any more
where I sent the letter. It's years and years since father heard from
him. I said I'd write because I thought it would look more respectable
to Mrs. Rexford to have an uncle. And I did write; but he won't answer."

This was certainly frank.

"Was that honest, Eliza?"

"No, Miss Sophia; but I felt so miserable. It's hard to walk off with
your bundle, and be all alone and afraid of a man coming after you, and
being so angry. He was dreadful angry when I told him I'd come. If you'd
only _promise_ not tell where I came from to anybody, so that it can't
get round to him that I'm here, and so that people won't know how I
lived before--"

"Well, we certainly have no reason to tell anybody. If it will make you
content, I can assure you none of us will talk about your affairs. Was
that all the trouble?"

"No--not all."

"Well, what else?" Sophia laughed a little, and laid her cool hand on
the girl's hot one.

"I can't be anything grand ever, and begin by being a servant, Miss
Sophia. I say I'm not a servant, and I try not to act like one; but Mrs.
Rexford, she's tried hard to make me one. You wouldn't like to be a
servant, Miss Sophia?"

"You are very childish and foolish," said Sophia. "If I had not been
just as foolish about other things when I was your age I would laugh at
you now. But I know it's no use to tell you that the things