family at the Baths in search
of a daily governess.

Miss Frost was not a person to be rejected, and in another week she
found herself setting out to breakfast with a girl and three boys,
infusing Latin, French, and geography all the forenoon, dining with
them, sometimes walking with them, and then returning to the merry
evening of Dynevor Terrace.

Mr. Dynevor endured the step pretty well. She had ascendancy enough
over him always to take her own way, and he was still buoyed up by the
hope of recovering enough to rectify his affairs in Peru. He was
better, though his right side remained paralysed, and Mr. Walby saw
little chance of restoration. Rising late, and breakfasting slowly,
the newspaper and visits from James wiled away the morning. He
preferred taking his meals alone; and after dinner was wheeled out in a
chair on fine days. Clara came to him as soon as her day's work was
over; and, when he was well enough to bear it, the whole party were
with him from the children's bedtime till his own. Altogether, the
invalid-life passed off pretty well. He did not dislike the children,
and Kitty liked anything that needed to be waited on. He took Clara's
services as a right, but was a little afraid of 'Mrs. Dynevor,' and
highly flattered by any attention from her; and with James his moods
were exceedingly variable, and often very trying, but, in general, very
well endured.

Peruvian mails were anticipated in the family with a feeling most akin
to dread. The notice of a vessel coming in was the signal for
growlings at everything, from the post-office down to his dinner; and
the arrival of letters made things only worse. As Clara said, the
galleons were taken by the pirates; the Equatorial Company seemed to be
doing the work of Caleb Balderston's thunderstorm, and to be bearing
the blame of a deficit such as Oliver could not charge on it. The whole
statement was backed by Mr. Ponsonby, whose short notes spoke of
indisposition making him more indebted than ever to the exertions of
Robson. This last was gone to Guayaquil to attempt to clear up the
accounts of the Equatorial Company, leaving the office at Lima in the
charge of Madison and the new clerk, Ford; and Mr. Dynevor was promised
something decisive and satisfactory on his return. Of Mary there was
no mention, except what might be inferred in a postscript:--'Ward is
expected in a few weeks.'

Mr. Dynevor was obliged to resign himself; and so exceedingly