ure, was bringing
up before his fancy the time, thirty years ago, when he had first entered
the elder Mr. Wilkins's service as stable-lad, and pretty Molly, the
scullery-maid, was his daily delight. Pretty Molly lay buried in Hamley
churchyard, and few living, except Dixon, could have gone straight to her
grave.

CHAPTER XI.

In a few days Miss Monro obtained a most satisfactory reply to her letter
of inquiries as to whether a daily governess could find employment in
East Chester. For once the application seemed to have come just at the
right time. The canons were most of them married men, with young
families; those at present in residence welcomed the idea of such
instruction as Miss Monro could offer for their children, and could
almost answer for their successors in office. This was a great step
gained. Miss Monro, the daughter of a precentor to this very cathedral,
had a secret unwillingness to being engaged as a teacher by any wealthy
tradesman there; but to be received into the canons' families, in almost
any capacity, was like going home. Moreover, besides the empty honour of
the thing, there were many small pieces of patronage in the gift of the
Chapter--such as a small house opening on to the Close, which had
formerly belonged to the verger, but which was now vacant, and was
offered to Miss Monro at a nominal rent.

Ellinor had once more sunk into her old depressed passive state; Mr. Ness
and Miss Monro, modest and undecided as they both were in general, had to
fix and arrange everything for her. Her great interest seemed to be in
the old servant Dixon, and her great pleasure to lie in seeing him, and
talking over old times; so her two friends talked about her, little
knowing what a bitter, stinging pain her "pleasure" was. In vain Ellinor
tried to plan how they could take Dixon with them to East Chester. If he
had been a woman it would have been a feasible step; but they were only
to keep one servant, and Dixon, capable and versatile as he was, would
not do for that servant. All this was what passed through Ellinor's
mind: it is still a question whether Dixon would have felt his love of
his native place, with all its associations and remembrances, or his love
for Ellinor, the stronger. But he was not put to the proof; he was only
told that he must leave, and seeing Ellinor's extreme grief at the idea
of their separation, he set himself to comfort her by every means in his
power, reminding