from darkening their young lives as hers had been darkened.
She resolved to seek counsel in the one person who most thoroughly
distrusted Emilia,--Aunt Jane.

This lady was in a particularly happy mood that day. Emilia, who did
all kinds of fine needle-work exquisitely, had just embroidered for Aunt
Jane some pillow-cases. The original suggestion came from Hope, but it
never cost Emilia anything to keep a secret, and she had presented the
gift very sweetly, as if it were a thought of her own. Aunt Jane, who
with all her penetration as to facts was often very guileless as to
motives, was thoroughly touched by the humility and the embroidery.

"All last night," she said, "I kept waking up, and thinking about
Christian charity and my pillow-cases."

It was, therefore, a very favorable day for Hope's consultation, though
it was nearly noon before her aunt was visible, perhaps because it took
so long to make up her bed with the new adornments.

Hope said frankly to Aunt Jane that there were some circumstances about
which she should rather not be questioned, but that Emilia had come
there the previous night from the ball, had been seized with one of
her peculiar attacks, and had stayed all night. Aunt Jane kept her eyes
steadily fixed on Hope's sad face, and, when the tale was ended, drew
her down and kissed her lips.

"Now tell me, dear," she said; "what comes first?"

"The first thing is," said Hope, "to have Emilia's absence explained to
Mrs. Meredith in some such way that she will think no more of it, and
not talk about it."

"Certainly," said Aunt Jane. "There is but one way to do that. I will
call on her myself."

"You, auntie?" said Hope.

"Yes, I," said her aunt. "I have owed her a call for five years. It is
the only thing that will excite her so much as to put all else out of
her head."

"O auntie!" said Hope, greatly relieved, "if you only would! But ought
you really to go out? It is almost raining."

"I shall go," said Aunt Jane, decisively, "if it rains little boys!"

"But will not Mrs. Meredith wonder--?" began Hope.

"That is one advantage," interrupted her aunt, "of being an absurd old
woman. Nobody ever wonders at anything I do, or else it is that they
never stop wondering."

She sent Ruth erelong to order the horses. Hope collected her various
wrappers, and Ruth, returning, got her mistress into a state of
preparation.

"If I might say one thing more," Hope whispered.

"Certainly," said h