' said Mr. Freeman, 'I do not want another hand, you
know very well; but Mrs. Williams is, as you say, a very good customer,
and so, I suppose, we must give the child a trial. Take her to Master
Joseph, and he will set her about something, and we shall be able to
judge by Saturday night what she can earn, and you shall be paid what is
right, for I suppose she will be with you.'

'Yes, sir,' replied Mr. Davis. 'She shall take lot and scot among my own
children. I shall make no difference.'

'Well, well,' said Mr. Freeman, 'we will do what is right by her and you
too.'

I was then taken into the grounds to Mr. Joseph, who was the
head-gardener. We found him working at a flower-bed. When he saw Mr.
Davis he said:

'Well, friend, what have you there--a lily or a snow-drop?'

'Which you please, Master Joseph,' replied the other. 'She is a little
girl that I have brought to put under your government.'

He then gave him an account how he had met with me, told him I was an
Earl's daughter, but had lost my father, and was to be called Lady Anne.
At this Mr. Joseph laughed, and said 'he had no objection to call me
Lady Anne, but that he should forget and call me Lady Lily.' After a
little more talk it was agreed that I should go the following morning,
as they both said it was too late for me to begin work that day. Mr.
Davis then conducted me back to his cottage, and having told his wife
that I was engaged, he went away to his work. The good dame told me that
I might sit down and rest myself, for she supposed I was tired. I really
was very tired, but seeing her engaged in mending the family clothes, I
told her that if she pleased I would help her.

'What!' said she; 'can you sew? I am sure if you can I shall be very
glad of your help, for my girls never put in a stitch, even for
themselves, except it is some finery for Sundays, and then they do it
because I can't do it well enough for them. There, my girl, if you can
mend me those stockings you'll do me a service. They have holes large
enough for you to put your hand through. I have sometimes thought that
if the girls would not mend their stockings themselves they should wear
them with holes in, and so they would, for never a stitch would they put
in, and then I am ashamed of seeing them go about in rags, so I keep
mending for them; but I have so much to do that I can hardly keep them
tidy.'

I took the stockings and found the dame had described them very
correctly, for