e impossibility of keeping up the style and manners of the family
in that new country.

Vinnie--who sat holding the baby by Cecie's lounge--asked why the family
had chosen that new country.

"Mr. Betterson had been unfortunate in business at the East, and it was
thought best that he should try Illinois," was Caroline's way of stating
that after her husband had run through two small fortunes which had
fallen to him, and exhausted the patience of relatives upon whom he was
constantly calling for help, a wealthy uncle had purchased this farm for
him, and placed him on it to be rid of him.

"I should think you might sell the farm and move away," said Vinnie.

"There are certain obstacles," replied Caroline; the said uncle, knowing
that Lord could not keep property from flying away, having shrewdly tied
this down by means of a mortgage.

"One thing," Caroline continued, "I have always regretted. A
considerable sum of money fell to Mr. Betterson after we came here; and
he--wisely, we thought at the time, but unfortunately, as it
proved--put it into this house. We expected to have a large part of it
left; but the cost of building was such that all was absorbed before the
house was finished."

Such was Caroline's account of the manner in which the "castle" came to
be built. Vinnie was amazed at the foolish vanity and improvidence of
the lord of it; but she only said,--

"There seems to be a great deal of unused room in the house; I should
think you might let that, and a part of the farm, to another family."

Caroline smiled pityingly.

"Lavinia dear, you don't understand. _We_ could never think of taking
another family into _our_ house, for the sake of _money_! though it
might be well to let the farm. Besides, there is really one more in the
family than you see. I think I haven't yet spoken to you of
Radcliff,--my husband's nephew."

"You mentioned such a person in your letter to me," replied Vinnie.

"Ah, yes; when I was giving some of the reasons why we had never had you
come and live with us. Well off as we were at one time,--and are now in
prospect, if not in actual appearance,--we could not very well take you
as a child into our family, if we took Radcliff. He was early left an
orphan, and it was thought best by the connections that he should be
brought up by my husband. I assure you, Lavinia, that nobody but a
Betterson should ever have been allowed to take your place in _our_
family."

Vinnie pictured to h