ubt you are
deceived in her. Our lads went to the the-a-ter the other night, and I
checked them well for it; but mother, says they, we had more call to be
there than the governess up to Miss Rachel's schule in Nichol Street,
dressed out in pink feathers."

"Well, Mrs. Rossitur, I will make every inquiry, and I do not think you
will find anything wrong. There must be some one about very like Mrs.
Rawlins. I have heard of those pink feathers before, but I know who the
matron is, and all about her! Good-bye. I'll see you again before you
go, I suppose it won't be till the seven o'clock train."

Mrs. Rossitur remained expressing her opinion to the butler that dear
Miss Rachel was too innocent, and then proceeded to lose all past cares
in a happy return to "melting day," in the regions of her past glories
as cook and housekeeper.

Rachel repaired to her room to cool her glowing cheeks, and repeat to
herself, "A mistake, an error. It must be a blunder! That boy that went
to the theatre may have cheated them! Mrs. Rawlins may have deceived Mr.
Mauleverer. Anything must be true rather than--No, no! such a tissue of
deception is impossible in a man of such sentiments! Persecuted as he
has been, shall appearances make me--me, his only friend--turn against
him? Oh, me! here come the whole posse purring upstairs to take off
their things! I shall be invaded in a moment."

And in came Grace and the two younger ladies, and Rachel was no more her
own from that moment.

CHAPTER XVIII. THE FORLORN HOPE.

"She whipped two female 'prentices to death,
And hid them in the coal-hole. For her mind
Shaped strictest plans of discipline, sage schemes,
Such as Lycurgus taught."--Canning and Frere.

The favourite dentist of the neighbourhood dwelt in a grand mansion
at St. Norbert's, and thither were conducted Conrade and Francis, as
victims to the symmetry of their mouths. Their mother accompanied them
to supply the element of tenderness, Alison that of firmness; and, in
fact, Lady Temple was in a state of much greater trepidation than either
of her sons, who had been promised five shillings each as the reward of
fortitude, and did nothing but discuss what they should buy with it.

They escaped with a reprieve to Conrade, and the loss of one tooth of
Francis's, and when the rewards had been laid out, and presents chosen
for all the stay-at-home children, including Rose, Lady Temple became
able to think about other mat