orning in December, that met with approval from everyone
but Ellinor, who was, however, by this time too languid to make much
resistance.

Mrs. Forbes and her daughters were going to Rome for three or four
months, so as to avoid the trying east winds of spring; why should not
Miss Wilkins go with them? They urged it, and Miss Monro urged it,
though with a little private sinking of the heart at the idea of the long
separation from one who was almost like a child to her. Ellinor was, as
it were, lifted off her feet and borne away by the unanimous opinion of
others--the doctor included--who decided that such a step was highly
desirable; if not absolutely necessary. She knew that she had only a
life interest both in her father's property and in that bequeathed to her
by Mr. Ness. Hitherto she had not felt much troubled by this, as she had
supposed that in the natural course of events she should survive Miss
Monro and Dixon, both of whom she looked upon as dependent upon her. All
she had to bequeath to the two was the small savings, which would not
nearly suffice for both purposes, especially considering that Miss Monro
had given up her teaching, and that both she and Dixon were passing into
years.

Before Ellinor left England she had made every arrangement for the
contingency of her death abroad that Mr. Johnson could suggest. She had
written and sent a long letter to Dixon; and a shorter one was left in
charge of Canon Livingstone (she dared not hint at the possibility of her
dying to Miss Monro) to be sent to the old man.

As they drove out of the King's Cross station, they passed a gentleman's
carriage entering. Ellinor saw a bright, handsome lady, a nurse, and
baby inside, and a gentleman sitting by them whose face she could never
forget. It was Mr. Corbet taking his wife and child to the railway. They
were going on a Christmas visit to East Chester deanery. He had been
leaning back, not noticing the passers-by, not attending to the other
inmates of the carriage, probably absorbed in the consideration of some
law case. Such were the casual glimpses Ellinor had of one with whose
life she had once thought herself bound up.

Who so proud as Miss Monro when a foreign letter came? Her correspondent
was not particularly graphic in her descriptions, nor were there any
adventures to be described, nor was the habit of mind of Ellinor such as
to make her clear and definite in her own impressions of what she saw,
a