for Mrs. Charteris--dresses her, works for her--I do
believe cooks for her. They live a strange, rambling life.'

'I have heard Lolly plays as deeply as Charles, does not she? All Castle
Blanch mortgaged--would be sold, but that Uncle Kit is in the entail! It
breaks one's heart to hear it! They all live on generous old Ratia, I
suppose.'

'I believe she pays the bills when they move. We were told that it was a
beautiful thing to see how patiently and resolutely she goes on bearing
with them and helping them, always in hopes that at last they may turn to
better things.'

Lucy was much touched. 'Poor Rashe!' she said; 'there was something
great in her. I have a great mind to write to her.'

They diverged into other subjects, but every minute she became more open
and confidential; and as the guarded reserve wore off, Phoebe contrived
to lead to the question of her spirits and health, and obtained a fuller
answer.

'Till you try, Phoebe, you can't guess the wear of living with minds that
have got nothing in them but what you have put in yourself. There seems
to be a fur growing over one's intellects for want of something to rub
against.'

'Miss Fennimore must often have felt that with us.'

'No, you were older and besides, you have some originality in a sober
way; and don't imagine Miss Fennimore had the sore heart at the
bottom--the foolishness that took to moaning after home as soon as it had
cast it off past recall!'

'Oh, Lucy! not past recall!'

'Not past pardon, I am trying to hope. At least, there are some people
who, the more unpardonable one is, pardon the more readily. When Owen
comes home, I mean to try.'

'Ah! I saw you had been going through a great deal.'

'No, no, don't charge my looks on sentiment,' said Cilla, hastily;
'there's plenty to account for them besides. One never falls into those
foibles when one is quite strong.'

'Then you have been unwell?'

'Not to the point of giving in. Oh, no! "Never say die" was always my
motto, you know.'

'To what point, dear Lucy?'

'To that of feeling as if the entire creation was out of joint--not one
child here and there, but everybody was cross; and I could not walk with
the children, and my bones ached, and all that sort of thing.'

'You had advice?'

'Yes, I thought it economical to patch myself up in time; so I asked for
a holiday to go to the doctor.'

'Well?'

'He did after the nature of doctors; poked me about, and asked