uffered so much in its short journey, Sally sat screaming and
crying in an easy-chair, into which she had thrown herself, declaring
she would go, and pushed Dinah away as often as she attempted to take
out a pin. Nor would she be pacified by any endeavours which were used
to please and amuse her, till her mother, quite tired with her noise and
ill-humour, declared she would send word to her governess the next
morning if she did not do what she was desired; upon which threat she
submitted to be undressed, but petulantly threw every article of her
attire upon the ground, and afterwards sat down in one of the windows in
sullen silence, without deigning an answer to any question that was
proposed to her. Jemima was as much disappointed as her cousin could be,
and had formed very high expectations of the pleasure she should receive
at the ball; but she had been always accustomed to submit to unavoidable
accidents without repining, and to make herself happy with those
amusements in her power when she was deprived of what she might wish for
but could not procure.

Some time after this Mr. Steward, a gentleman who lived at Smiledale,
came up to town about business, and called upon Mr. Piner with an
intention of seeing Miss Jemima, who was much distressed that she
happened to be absent, as she wished to hear some news of her father and
brothers. However, he returned again the next day, and Miss Placid very
gracefully paid her respects to him, and inquired after the friends she
had left. He satisfied her as to their health, and presented her with a
letter from her brother Charles, which, as soon as she could find an
opportunity, she retired to read. The contents were as follow:

_To Miss Placid._

'MY DEAR SISTER,

'As William writes so very slowly, and as father does not think he
should scribble at all, he has desired me to inform you of everything
that has passed since you left us. And first I must acquaint you with a
sad accident which will render one of your commissions useless. Poor
Hector, the day after you went away, was lost for several hours. We went
to every house in the village, and hunted behind every tomb in the
churchyard; called Hector! Hector! through all the fields, and then
returned and sought him in our own garden again; looked under the bench
in the poultry-yard, nay, even in the cellar and coal hole; but no
Hector returned. We sat down together on the bottom stair in the hall,
and William cried re