ey took
luncheon with us, looked into the schools, went to evening service, and
saw the whole concern. He was kinder than ever I knew him, and Acton
says he expressed himself as much pleased. I owe a great deal to Bevil
Acton, and, I know, to you. Now I know that he had forgiven me.'

'You, Robin! There was nothing to forgive. I can fancy poor Mervyn
feeling dreadfully, but you, always dutiful except for the higher duty!'

'Hush, Phoebe! Mine was grudging service. I loved opposition, and there
was an evil triumph in the annoyance I gave.'

'You are not regretting your work. O no!'

'Not the work, but the manner! Oh! that the gift of the self-willed son
be not Corban.'

'Robert! indeed you had his approval. You told me so. He was seeing
things differently. It was so new to him that his business could be
thought hurtful, that he was displeased at first, or, rather, Mervyn made
him seem more displeased than he was.'

'You only make me the more repent! Had I been what I ought at home, my
principles would have been very differently received!'

'I don't know,' said Phoebe; 'there was little opportunity. We have been
so little with them.'

'Oh! Phoebe, it is a miserable thing to have always lived at such a
distance from them, that I should better know how to tell such tidings to
any old woman in my district than to my mother!'

Their consultations were broken by Miss Fennimore coming to insist on
Phoebe's sleeping, in preparation for the trying morrow. Robert was
thankful for her heedfulness, and owned himself tired, dismissing his
sister with a blessing that had in it a tone of protection.

How changed was Phoebe's peaceful chamber in her eyes! Nothing had
altered, but a fresh act in her life had begun--the first sorrow had
fallen on her.

She would have knelt on for hours, leaning dreamily on the new sense of
the habitual words, 'Our Father,' had not Miss Fennimore come kindly and
tenderly to undress her, insisting on her saving herself, and promising
not to let her oversleep herself, treating her with wise and soothing
affection, and authority that was most comfortable.

Little danger was there of her sleeping too late. All night long she
lay, with dry and open eyes, while the fire, groaning, sank together, and
faded into darkness, and the moonbeams retreated slowly from floor to
wall, and were lost as gray cold dawn began to light the window. Phoebe
had less to reproach herself with than any