books
were soiled and dog's eared. Matilda felt all this in three minutes;
then she forgot it in the joy of seeing her sisters. The greeting on
her part was very warm; too warm for her to find out that on their part
it was a little constrained. They were interested enough, however, in
all that had befallen Matilda, to give talk full flow; and made her
tell them the whole story of the past months; the ship fever, the visit
at Briery Bank, the adoption of herself to be a child of the house, the
coming to New York, and the composition of the family circle in Mrs.
Lloyd's house. The elder sisters said very little all the while, except
to ask questions.

"And it's for good and all!" said Letitia, when Matilda had done.

"Yes. For good and all!"

"And what is Maria doing?" said Anne.

"Maria is in Poughkeepsie, you know, learning mantua-making."

"Is she happy? does she get along well?"

"I don't know," replied Matilda dubiously. She had not known Maria to
seem happy for a very long period; certainly not at the time of her
last visit to her.

"And _we_ are here," said Letitia. "I don't know why all the good
should come to Matilda, for my part."

Matilda could say nothing. It was a dash of cold water.

"I suppose you have everything in the world you want?" Letitia went on.

"Does she treat you really exactly as if you were her child?" said
Anne. "Mrs. Laval, I mean."

"Just as if I were," said Matilda.

"And you can have everything you want?" asked Letitia; but not as if
she were glad of it.

"If Mrs. Laval knows it," said Matilda.

"You can let her know it, I suppose. It ain't fair!" cried Letitia; "it
ain't fair! Why should Matilda have all the good that comes to anybody?
Here this child can have everything she wants; and you and I, and
Maria, have to work and work and pinch and pinch, and can't get it
then."

"Is that your dress for every day?" said Anne, after she had lifted
Matilda's cloak to see what was underneath.

"I don't know, Anne."

"You don't know? Don't you know what you wear every day?"

"Yes, but I don't know what will be my every day frock. I do not wear
the same in the morning and in the afternoon."

"You don't!" said Anne. "How many dresses have you?"

"And what are they?" added Letitia.

Matilda was obliged to tell.

"Think of it!" said Letty. "This child! _She_ has silks and cashmeres
and reps, more than she can use; and I, old as I am, haven't a dress to
go to church in, but