.
It filled her with a warm gladness and sorrow, both together; but it
bound her to Mrs. Laval. She threw both arms at last around her neck,
and they sat so, wrapped up in each other.

"You must go and call upon your aunt, Matilda," Mrs. Laval said after a
long silence.

"Must I? I suppose I must," said Matilda.

"Certainly. And the sooner you do it, the more graceful it will be. I
have been to see her. So it is only necessary for you. It is a proper
mark of respect."

"I will go to-morrow; shall I?"

"Yes; go to-morrow. Now Norton spoke about an allowance. Would you like
it?"

"I don't know what it is, ma'am."

"I give Norton, that is, I _allow_ him, five dollars a month; fifteen
dollars a quarter. Out of that he must provide himself with boots and
shoes and gloves; the rest is for whatever he wants, fish-hooks or
hyacinths, as the case may be. I shall give you the same, Matilda; five
dollars every month. Then I shall expect you to be always nicely and
properly dressed, in the matter of boots and shoes and gloves, without
my attending to it. You are young to be charged with so much care of
your dress, but I can trust you. With what is left of your allowance
you will do whatever you like; nobody will ask any questions about it.
Do you like that, my dear?"

"Very much, ma'am."

"I thought so," said Mrs. Laval smiling. "Now I want you to go with me
and get something to put on your head. I have had a pelisse made for
you that will do till we go to the city and can find something better.
This can be then for second best. Put it on, dear, and be ready; the
carriage will be at the door in a moment now."

Wondering, Matilda put on the pelisse. She had never had anything so
nice in her life. It was of some thick, pretty, silver-grey cloth,
lined and wadded, and delicately trimmed with silk. Then she went off
with Mrs. Laval in the carriage, and was fitted with a warm little hat.
Coming home towards evening, at the close of this eventful day, Matilda
felt as if she hardly knew herself. To lay off her coat and hat in such
a warm, cheery little room, where the fire in the grate bade her such a
kind welcome; to come down to the drawing-room, where another fire
shone and glowed on thick rugs and warm-coloured carpets and soft
cushions and elegant furniture; and to know that she was at home amid
all these things and comforts; it was bewildering. She sat down on a
low cushion on the rug, and tried to collect her wits. Wh