only by my poor mother;--but perhaps you
will allow me to trouble you so far in my great distress."

"She must come here, of course, papa," said Patience, as she handed
the letter to Clarissa.

"Yes, she must come here," said Sir Thomas.

"But I mean, to stay,--for always."

"Yes,--to stay for always. I cannot say that the arrangement is one
to which I look forward with satisfaction. A man does not undertake
new duties without fears;--and especially not such a duty as this, to
which I can see no end, and which I may probably be quite unable to
perform."

"Papa, I am sure she will be nice," said Clarissa.

"But why are you sure, my dear? We will not argue that, however. She
must come; and we will hope that she will prove to be what Clarissa
calls nice. I cannot allow my sister's child to go out into the world
as a governess while I have a home to offer her. She must come here
as one of our household. I only hope she will not interfere with your
happiness."

"I am sure she will not," said Clarissa.

"We will determine that she shall add to it, and will do our best to
make her happy," said Patience.

"It is a great risk, but we must run it," said Sir Thomas; and so the
matter was settled. Then he explained to them that he intended to
go himself to Southampton to receive his niece, and that he would
bring her direct from that port to her new home. Patience offered to
accompany him on the journey, but this he declined as unnecessary.
Everything was decided between them by eleven o'clock,--even to the
room which Mary Bonner should occupy, and then the girls left their
father, knowing well that he would not go to bed for the next four
hours. He would sleep in his chair for the next two hours, and would
then wander about, or read, or perhaps sit and think of this added
care till the night would be half over. Nor did the two sisters go
to bed at once. This new arrangement, so important to their father,
was certainly of more importance to them. He, no doubt, would still
occupy his chambers, would still live practically alone in London,
though he was in theory the presiding genius of the household at
Fulham; but they must take to themselves a new sister; and they both
knew, in spite of Clarissa's enthusiasm, that it might be that the
new sister would be one whom they could not love. "I don't remember
that I ever heard a word about her," said Clarissa.

"I have been told that she is pretty. I do remember that," said