the scholars, but always conveying some point of religious
instruction. It was a subject to which Maria was less impervious than to
any other; she readily learned to croon over the simple hymns that Phoebe
brought home, and when once a Scripture story had found entrance to her
mind, would beg to have it marked in her Bible, and recur to it
frequently.

Miss Fennimore left her entirely to Phoebe at these times, keeping Bertha
from molesting her by sarcastic queries, or by remarks on the sing-song
hymns, such as made Phoebe sometimes suspect that Maria's love for these
topics rendered them the more distasteful to the younger girl. She tried
to keep them as much sheltered as possible, but was still sometimes
disconcerted by Bertha's mischievous laugh, or by finding Miss
Fennimore's eyes fixed in attention.

Phoebe's last hour on these evenings was spent in laying up her new lore
in her diligently kept note-book, weighing it and endeavouring to range
it in logical sequence, which she had been duly trained to consider the
test of reasoning. If she sometimes became bewildered, and detected
insufficient premises for true conclusions, if she could not think
allegory or analogy the evidence it was made at the Sunday-school, and
which Miss Charlecote esteemed as absolute proof, her sound heart and
loving faith always decided her that she should discover the link in
time; and the doctrine had too strong a hold on her convictions and
affections for her to doubt that the chain of argument existed, though
she had not yet found it. It was not the work for which so young a head
was intended, and perhaps it was well that she was interrupted by the
arrival at home of the heads of the family.

Augusta and her husband were to spend the winter abroad; Juliana had met
some friends, whom she had accompanied to their home, and though she had
exacted that Phoebe should not come out, yet the eldest daughter at home
was necessarily brought somewhat forward. Phoebe was summoned to the
family meals, and went out driving with her mother, or riding with her
father, but was at other times in the schoolroom, where indeed she was
the most happy.

The life down-stairs was new to her, and she had not been trained to the
talk there expected of her. The one event of her life, her visit to
London, gave evident dissatisfaction. There were growls whenever Robert
was mentioned, and Phoebe found that though permission had been given for
his taking the