learing away--like
a sunbeam, out peeps a smile from each corner of her rosy mouth, and
hark! you may almost hear her merry laugh as clapping her bands she
exclaims--

"Yes, yes, I'll do it! What a capital idea--excellent, excellent!"
Then rising and bounding lightly to the inner door she threw it wide,
saying--

"Here, Hetty, I have something to tell you--come quick."

And at the summons a pretty young girl, seemingly about her own age,
made her appearance from the chamber.

"There, Hetty, I am better now," said Ursula, "how silly I am to let
the remarks of such a person have power to move me! But I have such a
grand project to tell you--come, while you are platting my hair, and,
in the words of that same amiable youth, taking off all these
_trappings_, I will let you into my secret."

Hetty took the comb and thridded it through the long tresses of her
young lady, which, released from the silver arrow so gracefully
looping them on the top of her head, now fell around her nearly to the
floor.

"Hetty," exclaimed Ursula, suddenly throwing back her head and looking
archly at the girl, "Hetty, do you want to see your mother?"

"O, Miss Ursula," cried Hetty, the tears springing to her eyes,
"indeed, indeed I do!"

"Very well, I promise you then that in less than a week you shall be
in her arms."

"O, my dear Miss Ursula, do you really mean so?" said Hetty, bending
over and kissing the glowing cheek of her mistress.

"Yes, I really mean so--but dear, dear, you have run that hair-pin
almost into my brain--never mind--only be quiet now--there, sit down,
and I will tell you all about it." There was a roguish expression on
Ursula's face as she continued: "Yes, you shall go home, and what's
more, Hetty, I am going with you, and mean to live with you all
summer, perhaps longer."

"Why, Miss Ursula!"

"Yes I do. And now you must assist me--you must promise me not to
reveal to any one, not even to your mother, that I am the rich lady
with whom you live. Remember I am a poor girl--poor as yourself--a
friend of yours come into the country for--for her health--ha, ha, ha,
Hetty, look at me--you must contrive to make me look paler, or shall
this be a _hectic_?"

"But, Miss Ursula--it will never do--you who have always had every
thing so beautiful around you--you can never live in our humble way!"

"Try me, try me, Hetty--for I am determined to lest my own individual
merits, and see how far they may gain me the love a