owed on the rosy pair of
arms, and with a white unstockinged leg doubled under her. Poor child,
there was more of the angel than the tiger-cat in her aspect now, and
they had tears in their eyes, and moved softly lest they should startle
her from her rest.

But wakened she must be. Honora was afraid of displeasing her domestic
vizier, and rendering him for ever unpropitious to her little guests if
she deferred his removal of the breakfast things beyond a reasonable
hour. How was the awaking to be managed? Fright, tears, passion, what
change would come when the poor little maid must awake to her grief!
Honora would never have expected so poetical a flight from her good old
governess as the suggestion, 'Play to her;' but she took it eagerly, and
going to the disused piano which stood in the room began a low, soft air.
The little sleeper stirred, presently raised her head, shook her hair off
her ears, and after a moment, to their surprise, her first word was
'Mamma!' Honora was pausing, but the child said, 'Go on,' and sat for a
few moments as though recovering herself, then rose and came forward
slowly standing at last close to Honora. There was a pause, and she
said, 'Mamma did that.'

Never was a sound more welcome! Honora dared to do what she had longed
for so much, put an arm round the little creature and draw her nearer,
nor did Lucilla resist, she only said, 'Won't you go on?'

'I can make prettier music in the other room, my dear; we will go there,
only you've had no breakfast. You must be very hungry.'

Lucilla turned round, saw a nice little roll cut into slices, and
remembered that she _was_ hungry; and presently she was consuming it so
prosperously under Miss Wells's superintendence that Honor ventured out
to endeavour to retard Jones's desire to 'take away,' by giving him
orders about the carriage, and then to attend to her other household
affairs. By the time they were ended she found that Miss Wells had
brought the child into the drawing-room, where she had at once detected
the piano, and looking up at Honora said eagerly 'Now then!' And Honora
fulfilled her promise, while the child stood by softened and gratified,
until it was time to propose fetching little Owen, 'your little
brother--you will like to have him here.'

'I want my father,' said Lucilla in a determined voice, as if nothing
else were to satisfy her.

'Poor child, I know you do; I am so sorry for you, my dear little woman,
but