he old lady.

"Well, dinner, dear," said Polly, "because I want a long talk with you
before we go."

"You're coing away, then?"

"Yes, aunt, for a month; but you'll stay till we come back?"

"Well, I ton't know, look you," said the old lady, sturdily. "Chane
Lloyd and I never tid get on well together; but if Mr Richard Trevor
there isn't too prout to ask a poor old woman off the mountains--who
nursed his poor mother, and tantled him in her arms when he was a paby--
I teclare to cootness I will stay."

A dead silence fell upon the group at the table. Humphrey seemed
uncomfortable, Polly clung to his arm, Mrs Lloyd looked white and
downcast, and her husband glanced at the door, and motioned a servant
who was entering to retire.

Richard broke the silence, after giving a reassuring smile to Humphrey
and his wife, by saying, gravely--

"I would ask you to stay with pleasure, Mrs Price, if I were master
here, but you are mistaken. There sits Mr Humphrey Trevor; I am your
own kith and kin, Richard Lloyd."

"Chut!--chut!--chut!" exclaimed the old lady, starting up and speaking
angrily, as she pointed at him with one finger. "Who ever saw a Lloyd
or a Price with a nose like that? Ton't tell me! You're Mr Richard
Trevor, your father's son, and as much like him, look you, as two peas."

The Lloyds rose, Mrs Lloyd looking like ashes as she clung to her
husband's arm; while Pratt left his place, and stood behind the chair of
his friend.

"I'd forgotten all about it, look you," said the old lady, prattling
away, "till Polly wrote to me from her school; and then it all came back
about Chane Lloyd and her paby, and her having the fever when her
mistress died. Why, look you, tidn't I go up to the nursery after peing
town to see the funeral, and find Chane Lloyd hat peen up there, and put
her paby in the young master's cratle? and, look you, titn't I go town
to chite her, and find her all off her heat, and she was ill for weeks?
I thought she'd tone it without knowing, or, peing wild-like, had liked
to see her little one in the young master's clothes. I put that all
right again, and nursed poth pabies till she cot well. Lloyd--Trevor--
tidn't I see them poth as soon as they came into the worlt, and to you
think I ton't know them? Why, look at them!"

She turned to Pratt, who was nearest to her; but she cried out in alarm,
for the little fellow had caught her in his arms and kissed her on both
cheeks, as he cried-