rton was having.

After tea, they removed into the study. Mr. Richmond asked them to come
there, saying he was going to play this evening. He built up a
beautiful fire, and gave Norton a book to look at; while he himself sat
for awhile quite silent, looking into the blaze, and only moving now
and then to take care that it was kept up. So Matilda found the two,
when she had put the tea things away and followed them to the study.
The red curtains were drawn across the windows; the red light of the
fire leaped and shone all through the room; in the glow of it Norton
sat brooding over his book, and before it Mr. Richmond sat thinking.
But he held out his hand as Matilda came in, and asked if his little
housekeeper had got all things straight. Matilda came to his
outstretched hand, which drew her to his side; and the room was still
again. Matilda stood motionless. By and by Norton glanced up at her
from his book, and covertly smiled. It started Matilda's thoughts.

"Are you not going to be busy, Mr. Richmond?" she ventured, gently.

"Not doing anything at all," said Mr. Richmond, rousing himself. "I
have been busy all day, Matilda. I am going to do nothing to-night.
What is it?"

"Will it be doing anything to talk to Norton and me?"

"I can't say," Mr. Richmond replied, laughing a little. "Perhaps you
will find me work to do, but I'll risk it. What do you want to talk
about?"

"There was a question--Norton and I could not tell what the answer
ought to be. I believe he thought one way, and I thought another."

"What was the question?" said Mr. Richmond; while Norton's face looked
up from his book, bright with the same query.

"We were talking--it was about opportunities, you know, Mr. Richmond;
the opportunities that having money gives people; and we couldn't tell,
Norton and I, how far one ought to go. Norton said people must stop
somewhere; and I suppose they must. Where ought they to stop?"

Matilda's face looked very earnest. Norton's, comical.

"Where ought they to stop in giving money, you mean?"

"Yes, sir. For doing good, you know, and making other people
comfortable."

"It is rather a large question. Were you afraid of giving too much, or
of giving too little?"

"I think one of us was afraid of giving too much, and the other of
giving too little."

"The best way is to go to the Bible and see what that says. May I
trouble one of you to open it at the Second Epistle to the Corinthians,
and read what y