r body
when I saw him there in the old place.'

'No, he only told me you were looking very ill; and indeed--'

'I could not ask him what concatenation made Honor take Mervyn under her
wing, like a hen hovering a vulture.'

'It would be a long story,' said Phoebe; 'but Bertha was very ill, and
Mervyn much out of health; and we were in great distress for an escort.
I think it was the kindest thing ever done, and the most successful.'

'Has it been a comfort to her? Owen's letters must be, I am sure. He
will come home this autumn, as soon as he has done laying out his
railway, and then I shall get him to beg leave for me to make a little
visit to Hiltonbury before we go out to Canada. I could not go out
without a good word from her. She and Mr. Prendergast are all that
remains of the old life. I say, Phoebe, did you hear of those cousins of
mine!'

'It was one of the reasons I wished to see you. I thought you might like
to hear of them.'

'You saw them!'

'Miss Charteris called on us at Nice. She--oh, Lucy! you will be
surprised--she is a Plymouth sister!'

'Rashe!--old Rashe! We reverse the old transformation, butterflies into
grubs!' cried Lucy, with somewhat spasmodic laughter. 'Tell me how the
wonder came about.'

'I know little about it,' said Phoebe. 'Miss Charlecote thought most
likely it was the first earnest kind of religion that presented itself
when she was craving for some such help.'

'Did Honor make such a liberal remark? There, I am sorry I said it; but
let me hear of dear old Rashe. Has it made her very grim?'

'You know it is not an embellishing dress, and she did look gaunt and
haggard; but still somehow we liked her better than ever before; and she
is so very good and charitable.'

'Ha! Nice is a grand place for colporteurs and tracts. She would be a
shining specimen there, and dissipation, religious or otherwise, old
Rashe _must_ have.'

'Not only in that line,' said Phoebe, suppressing a smile at the truth of
the surmise, 'but she is all kindness to sick English--'

'She tried to convert you all!--confess it. Rashe converting dear old
Honor! Oh! of all comical conjunctions!'

'Miss Charlecote hushed it down,' said Phoebe; 'and, indeed, nobody could
be with her and think that she needed rousing to religious thoughts.'

'By this attempt on Honor, I fear she has not succeeded with Lolly, whom
poor Owen used to call an Eastern woman with no soul.'

'She does everything