he in a trade?"

"His father is a master-carpenter--he works in his father's yard."

"If he has got work, why has he not married you?"

"It is his father's fault, ma'am--not his. His father has no pity on us.
He would be turned out of house and home if he married me."

"Can he get no work elsewhere?"

"It's hard to get good work in London, ma'am. There are so many in
London--they take the bread out of each other's mouths. If we had only
had the money to emigrate, he would have married me long since."

"Would he marry you if you had the money now?"

"I am sure he would, ma'am. He could get plenty of work in Australia,
and double and treble the wages he gets here. He is trying hard, and
I am trying hard, to save a little toward it--I put by all I can spare
from my child. But it is so little! If we live for years to come, there
seems no hope for us. I know I have done wrong every way--I know I don't
deserve to be happy. But how could I let my child suffer?--I was obliged
to go to service. My mistress was hard on me, and my health broke down
in trying to live by my needle. I would never have deceived anybody by
a false character, if there had been another chance for me. I was alone
and helpless, ma'am; and I can only ask you to forgive me."

"Ask better women than I am," said Magdalen, sadly. "I am only fit to
feel for you, and I do feel for you with all my heart. In your place I
should have gone into service with a false character, too. Say no more
of the past--you don't know how you hurt me in speaking of it. Talk of
the future. I think I can help you, and do you no harm. I think you can
help me, and do me the greatest of all services in return. Wait, and you
shall hear what I mean. Suppose you were married--how much would it cost
for you and your husband to emigrate?"

Louisa mentioned the cost of a steerage passage to Australia for a man
and his wife. She spoke in low, hopeless tones. Moderate as the sum was,
it looked like unattainable wealth in her eyes.

Magdalen started in her chair, and took the girl's hand once more.

"Louisa!" she said, earnestly; "if I gave you the money, what would you
do for me in return?"

The proposal seemed to strike Louisa speechless with astonishment. She
trembled violently, and said nothing. Magdalen repeated her words.

"Oh, ma'am, do you mean it?" said the girl. "Do you really mean it?"

"Yes," replied Magdalen; "I really mean it. What would you do for me in
return?"