ours.

This gave neither of them a moment's uneasiness. It was not the
direction of their pride; and even before James's aching head was
troubled with deliberation, Isabel had discussed her plan with the Miss
Faithfulls. She would imagine herself in a colony, and be troubled
with no more scruples about the conventional tasks of a lady than if
she were in the back-woods.

They would shut up some of the rooms, take one servant of all-work, and
Isabel would be nursery-maid herself. 'We may do quite as well as the
carpenter's wife,' she said; 'she has more children and less income,
and yet always seems to me the richest person whom I know.'

James groaned, and turned his face away. He could not forbid it, for
even Isabel's exertion must be permitted rather than the dishonour of
living beyond their means; and he consoled himself with thinking that
when the deadening inertness of his illness should leave him, he should
see some means of finding employment for himself, which would save her
from toil and exertion, and, in the meantime, with all his keen
self-reproach, it was a blessed thing to have been brought back to his
enthusiastic admiration for her, all discontents and drawbacks utterly
forgotten in her assiduous affection and gallant cheerfulness.

Lord Ormersfield had readily acceded to his son's wish to bring the
party to spend Christmas at Ormersfield, as soon as James could be
moved. During their visit the changes were to be made, and before
setting out Isabel had to speak to the servants. Charlotte's alacrity
and usefulness had made her doubly esteemed during her master's
illness; and when he heard how she was to be disposed of, he seemed
much vexed. He said that she was a legacy from his grandmother, and
too innocent and pretty to be cast about among strange servants in all
the places where the Conways visited; and that he would not have
consented to the transfer, but that, under their present circumstances,
it was impossible to keep her. If any evil came to her, it would be
another miserable effect of his own temper.

Isabel thought he exaggerated the dangers, and she spoke brightly to
Charlotte about fixing the day of her going to Estminster, so as to be
put into the ways of the place before her predecessor departed. The
tears at once came into Charlotte's eyes, and she answered, 'If you
please, ma'am, I should be very sorry to leave, unless I did not give
satisfaction.'

'That is far from being th