ing up. Oh, dear, yes, Madam, I knew them all--Master Charles,
and Miss Phoebe, and Master Jack, and Miss Perry, and Miss Kitty."

"Miss Perry?" said Madam, in an interrogative tone.

"Miss Perpetua, Madam--we always called her Miss Perry for short. A
dear little blessed child she was!"

Rhoda saw the kind which held the letter tremble again.

"And they are all dead but Miss Phoebe?"

"It's a mercy Miss Phoebe wasn't taken too," said Molly, shaking her
head. "They died of the fever, in one fortnight's time--Miss Perry went
the first; and then Master Jack, and then Master Charles, and the
Reverend himself, and Miss Kitty last of all. Miss Phoebe was down like
all of 'em, and the doctor did say he couldn't ha' pulled her through
but for her dear good mother. She never had her gown off, Madam, night
nor day, just a-going from one sick bed to another; and they all died in
her arms. I wonder she didn't lie down and die herself at last. I do
think it was Miss Phoebe beginning to get better as kept her in life."

"Poor Anne!"

If anything could have startled Rhoda, it was those two words. She
recognised her aunt's name, and knew now of whom they were speaking.

Had Molly been retained as counsel for Mrs Latrobe, she could hardly
have spoken more judiciously than she did. She went on now,--

"And, O Madam! when all was done, and the five coffins carried out, she
says to me, Mrs Latrobe says, `Molly,' she says, `I'd ought to be very
thankful. I haven't been a good child,' she says, `to my father and
mother. But _they'll_ never pay me back my bitter ways,' she says. And
I'm right sure, Madam, as Miss Phoebe never will, for she's that sweet
and good, she is! So you see, Madam, Mrs Latrobe, she's had her
troubles, and if so be she's sent to you for comfort, Madam, I take the
liberty to hope as you'll give her a bit."

"You can go back to the kitchen, Molly," said Madam, in what was for her
a very gracious tone. "I will order you a night's lodging here, and
to-morrow one of my carters, who is going to Gloucester, shall take you
so far on your way. I will give you a letter to carry."

"Thank you kindly, Madam!"

And with half a dozen courtesies, one for Rhoda, and the rest for Madam,
Molly retreated, well pleased. Madam sat down and wrote her letter.
This was Madam's letter, written in an amiable frame of mind:--

"Daughter,--I have yowr leter. Your father is ded thise foreteen
yeres. I promissed h