e?" asked Rosa.

"Yes, your father's old nurse; indeed I may say mine also, for when I
was a little girl I used to pay long visits to your grandfather's house.
And it seems that she is in great poverty--almost destitute. Dear,
_dear_ old nurse! you won't be long in poverty if I can help it!"

As she spoke, a handsome man of middle age and erect carriage entered
the room. There was an expression of care and anxiety on his
countenance, which, however, partly disappeared when the lady turned
towards him with a triumphant look and held up the letter.

"Didn't I tell you, Jack, that your lawyer would find our old nurse if
any one could? He writes me that she has been heard of, living in some
very poor district on the south side of the Thames, and hopes to be able
to send me her exact address very soon. I felt quite sure that Mr
Lockhart would find her, he is such an obliging and amiable man, as well
as clever. I declare that I can't bear to look at all the useless
luxury in which we live when I think of the good and true creatures like
old nurse who are perishing in absolute destitution."

"But being disgusted with our luxury and giving it all up would not mend
matters, little wife," returned Jack with a faint smile. "Rich people
are not called upon to give up their riches, but to _use_ them--to spend
well within their means, so as to have plenty to spare in the way of
helping those who are willing to help themselves, and sustaining those
who cannot help themselves. The law of supply and demand has many
phases, and the profits resulting therefrom are overruled by a Higher
Power than the laws of Political Economy. There are righteous rich as
well as poor; there are wicked poor as well as rich. What you and I
have got to do in this perplexing world is to cut our particular coat
according to our cloth."

"Just so," said the lady with energy. "Your last remark is to the
point, whatever may be the worth of your previous statements, and I
intend to cut off the whole of my superfluous skirts in order to clothe
old nurse and such as she with them."

Rosa laughingly approved of this decision, for she was like-minded with
her mother, but her father did not respond. The look of care had
returned to his brow, and there was cause for it for Colonel Brentwood
had just learned from his solicitor that he was a ruined man.

"It is hard to have to bring you such news, darling," he said, taking
his wife's hand, "especially wh