person, and very fond of gayety. She died of lung-fever,
contracted through exposing herself one night at a military ball, in
direct opposition to my brother Benjamin's wishes. She insisted upon
wearing blue-satin slippers, and a low-necked dress."

"Oh, dear!" said Theodora, secretly conscious of a guilty sympathy for
the giddy young person who ran counter to brother Benjamin's wishes, in
the matter of military balls and blue-satin slippers.

"Yes, my love!" Miss Elizabeth proceeded. "And for that reason I was
always glad to find that Priscilla was not at all like her. Priscilla
and I have been very happy together, in our quiet way; she has been the
best of dear, good girls to me. Indeed, I really don't know what I shall
do when I must lose her, as of course you know I shall be obliged to,
when she marries Mr. Denis Oglethorpe!"

"Yes, ma'am," answered Theo, and as she spoke, she felt a curious,
startled glow flash over her. This was the first time an actual approach
to the subject had been made in her presence.

"Yes, my dear!" said Miss Elizabeth again. "I shall feel the separation
very deeply, but it must be, you know. They have waited so long for each
other, that I should be a very wicked selfish old woman to throw any
obstacle, even so slight a one as my own discomfort, in their way. Don't
you think so?"

"Yes, madame," Theo faltered, very unsteadily, indeed.

But Miss Elizabeth did not notice any hesitation in her manner, and went
on with her confidential chat, eulogizing Priscilla and her betrothed
affectionately. Mr. Denis Oglethorpe would be a rich man some of these
days, and then what a happy life must Priscilla's be--so young, so
beautiful, so beloved. "Not that wealth brings happiness, my dear Miss
Theodora. Riches are very deceitful, you know; but there is a great deal
of solid comfort in a genteel sufficiency."

To all of which Theo acquiesced, modestly, inwardly wondering if she was
very wrong in wishing that Oglethorpe had not left them quite so early.

The day passed pleasantly enough, however, in a quiet way. Miss
Elizabeth was very affectionate and communicative, and told her a great
many stories of Anastasia, and the late-lamented Benjamin, as they sat
by the fire together, in the evening, and blundered over the
octagon-stitch. It was an Afghan Miss Elizabeth was making now; and when
at tea-time, Mr. Oglethorpe came, he found Theodora North sitting on the
hearth, flushed with industrious an