her while he resumed his conversation with Mrs. French.

Hanny devoured it with a thrill. A letter from across the ocean!

They had a very pleasant journey, with only one storm worth mentioning.
Mrs. Jasper, who had dreaded sea-sickness, had only a slight attack.
Aunt Ellen was ill four days, and Daisy a whole week. Once they were
quite alarmed about her. But her recovery was more rapid than they had
expected; and now they were all well, and the ladies would write more at
length.

An ocean voyage was quite an undertaking then. Some people of leisure
went by a packet, which took three weeks, occasionally longer.

It was very odd to think of Daisy Jasper in England. But how many times
Mrs. French had come home safely.

Of course they must go out and see the flowers: the beautiful red rose
whose mother, or grandmother, had come from the Escurial at Madrid; and
a real English hawthorn, from Windermere, just out of bloom now; and
several valuable and curious foreign plants, quite common at this day.
At the southern end there was a conservatory for the housing of the more
delicate ones.

Ben was wonderfully interested with the indoor curiosities, and a case
of stuffed birds, the like of which he had never seen. They had a little
more incense too, and opened jars of rare perfume that was nobody knew
how many years old. There were some Chinese paintings on fine
transparent silk, and ivory carvings that were enough to puzzle the
most astute brain. Ben thought he would like to spend at least a month
over them.

Supper-time came too soon. Mrs. French said she had enjoyed every moment
of Hanny's visit, and hoped to have her a whole week in the summer
vacation, and the young men must feel they would be welcome any time.

"I've just been crowded full of delight," exclaimed Hanny, with her
good-bye kiss.

It was quite a walk down to the ferry; then they had their sail across.
How still and tranquil everything seemed! When they reached the city,
people were going to church, and a few last bells were ringing. They
walked leisurely up Grand Street; and, at the junction of East Broadway,
Joe said he would run up to the office to see if he was needed for
anything. Then Ben and Hanny kept on. There were a good many private
residences in Grand Street, but the stores were creeping along. Already
they began to show foreign names, and on some stoops a whole Jewish
family would be sitting with their black-eyed children. And so many of