mbly, and yet with dignity, "of
counting up the favours I had received, and measuring my conduct
accordingly. In that case my obligations to you are immense, and you
would certainly have the greatest claim upon my services."

"Services! I don't want your _services_, child. Mrs. Ellis can do quite
as well as you can for Emily, or me either; but I like your _company_,
and think it is very ungrateful in you to leave us, as you talk of
doing."

"Father," said Emily, "I thought the object in giving Gertrude a good
education was to make her independent of all the world, and not simply
dependent upon us."

"Emily," said Mr. Graham, "I tell you it is a matter of feeling--you
don't seem to look upon the thing in the light I do; but you are both
against me, and I won't talk any more about it."

So saying, Mr. Graham went to his study, and was seen no more that
night.

Poor Gertrude! Mr. Graham, who had been so generous, who had seldom or
ever spoken harshly to her, and had always treated her with great
indulgence, was now deeply offended. He had called her ungrateful; he
felt that she had abused his kindness, and believed that he and Emily
stood in her imagination secondary to other far less warm-hearted
friends. Deeply wounded, she hastened to say good-night to the no less
afflicted Emily, and, seeking her own room, gave way to feelings that
caused her a sleepless night.

CHAPTER XXI.

SELFISHNESS.

Left at three years of age dependent upon the charity of a world in
which she was friendless and alone, Gertrude had, during her residence
at Nan Grant's, found little of that charity. But, although her
turbulent spirit rebelled at the treatment she received, she was then
too young to reason upon the subject, or come to any conclusions upon
the hardness and cruelty of humanity; and, had she done so, such
impressions would have been effaced in the home of her kind
foster-father.

And having, through a similar providence, found in Emily additional
proof of the fact that the tie of kindred blood is not always needed to
bind heart to heart in the closest bonds of sympathy and affection, she
had hitherto, in her unusually happy experience, felt none of the evils
that spring from dependence upon the bounty of strangers.

From Mr. Graham she had until now experienced only kindness. On her
first coming to live with them, he had taken little notice of her, so
long as she was quiet, well-mannered, and no trouble to anybod