traight from Aylmer's Court. This packet contained a wardrobe
which set the little widow's ears tingling, and flushed her cheeks,
brightened her eyes, and caused her heart, as she expressed it, to bound
with joy.

"Oh, Sukey, come and look; come and look!" she cried, and Sukey ran from
the kitchen and held up her hands and uttered sundry ejaculations as she
helped her mistress to turn over the tempting array of garments.

"There's the silk dress. What a dear girl!" cried Mrs. Aylmer. "Isn't it
a perfectly splendid dress, Sukey? We must get it cut down, of course;
and the extra breadths will do to renovate it when it gets a little
shabby. I shall give a tea-party, I really will, Sukey, when this dress
is made as good as new. I am quite certain that I can spare you my old
black silk, which you know, Sukey, has been turned four times."

"Thank you, ma'am," said Sukey, in her downright voice. "And what news
is there from Miss Florence, please, ma'am?"

"Oh, there is a letter. I have just had time to read it. It is a very
nice, pleasant letter; but really Florence is the sort of girl who does
not know where her bread is buttered. If she had been anybody else she
would have made up to that young man instead of sending him away when I
invited him in to supper. Florence is a great trial to me in many ways,
Sukey."

"If I was you, ma'am, I'd be thankful to have such a good, nice,
downright young lady like Miss Florence, that I would," said Sukey. "But
don't keep me any longer now, please, ma'am. I'll go and make you a cup
of cocoa: it's quite as much as you want for your dinner to-day. You're
so new-fangled with your bits of clothes."

"That I am," said Mrs. Aylmer the less, as Sukey hurried out of the
room.

Amongst the clothes, lying by itself, was a thick envelope. Mrs. Aylmer
tore it open. There tumbled out of it two golden sovereigns.

"Dear, dear!" thought the widow; "my sister-in-law Susan must be
changing her mind to send me all these lovely clothes and this money;
but stay: the writing is not in Susan's hand--it is doubtless the hand
of that charming young creature, Miss Keys."

Bertha's letter ran as follows:--

"DEAR MRS. AYLMER--

"I have collected a few things which I think may prove useful,
in especial the silk dress which you seemed so much to covet. I
also send two sovereigns, as I think you will like to have the
funds to pay the dressmaker for cutting it down to your figure.