inducement with herself. Mrs. Caxton had asked indeed to be
permitted to consider Eleanor her own, and had promised in that case to
make Eleanor entirely her own care, both during Mrs. Caxton's life and
afterwards; leaving Mrs. Powle free to devote all her fortune to Julia
that would have been shared with Julia's sister. Mrs. Powle's means
were not in her estimation large; she wanted every penny of them for
the perfecting and carrying out of her plans which regarded her
youngest daughter; she consented that the elder should own another
mother and guardian. Mrs. Powle agreed to it all. But not satisfied
with any step of the whole affair nevertheless, which all displeased
her, from beginning to end, her own action included, she expressed her
determination to Eleanor in terms which half broke Eleanor's heart; and
left a long, lingering, sore spot there. To Mrs. Caxton Mrs. Powle's
writing was much better worded; civil if not kind, and well mannered if
not motherly.

The thing was done, at all events; Eleanor was formally made over to
another mother and left free to do whatever her new guardian pleased.
Letters of a different sort of temper were sent off upon their long
journey to the South Seas; and there began a busy time at Plassy, in
anticipation of Eleanor's following them. It was still very uncertain
when that might be; opportunities must be waited for; such an
opportunity as would satisfy Mrs. Caxton. In the mean while a great
deal of business was on hand. Mrs. Caxton even made a journey up to
London and took Eleanor with her; for the sake of inquiries and
arrangements which could not be attended to from a distance. For the
sake of purchases too, which could be made nowhere but in London. For
Mrs. Caxton was bent, not only on supplying Eleanor with all that could
be thought of in the way of outfit; but also on getting together to
accompany or precede her everything that could be sent that might be
useful or helpful to Mr. Rhys or comfortable in the household; in
short, to transfer England as nearly as possible to Fiji. As freights
of course were expensive, all these matters must be found and
compressed in the smallest compass they could possibly know as their
limits; and Mrs. Caxton was very busy. London did not hold them but a
fortnight; the rest of the time work was done at Plassy.

And the months rolled on. Cheeses were turned off as usual, and Mrs.
Caxton's business was as brisk as ever. Eleanor's outfit gradua