rather as guests than as lodgers.

She showed the ladies to the two communicating rooms on the first floor
that they were to occupy--large, airy, pleasant rooms, with a fresh
breeze blowing from front to back. Each room had two neat white-draped
single beds in it.

"If you please, Mrs. Wheatfield, which of these was Mrs. Grey's
apartment?" inquired Emma Cavendish.

"This back room overlooking the flower-garden. But as the front room was
unoccupied she had the use of that also, whenever she wished it,"
answered the bishop's widow.

"I was very sorry to hear from her by letter that she would not be able
to remain here to receive us," said Miss Cavendish.

"Ah, my dear, I was just as sorry to have her go away! A sweet woman she
is, Miss Cavendish," answered Mrs. Wheatfield.

"Why did she go? Is her health so very bad, Mrs. Wheatfield?"

"My dear, I think that her malady is more of the mind than of the body.
But I believe that she went away only to give up these rooms to you and
your friends, because there were no other suitable rooms to be obtained
for you in Charlottesville."

"I am very sorry to hear that; for indeed I and my companions would
rather have given up our journey than have turned Mary Grey out of her
rooms. It was really too great a sacrifice on her part," said Emma
Cavendish, regretfully.

"My dear, that angel is always making sacrifices, for that matter. But I
do think that _this_ sacrifice did not cost her much. Love made it
light. I feel sure she was delighted to be able to give up her quarters
to friends who could not in any other way have been accommodated in the
town," said the bishop's widow, politely.

"I am sorry, however, not to have met her," murmured Emma Cavendish.

"And now, ladies, here are the apartments. Arrange as to their
occupancy and distribution among yourselves as you please," said the
hostess, as she nodded pleasantly and left the room.

The ladies had brought but little luggage for their week's visit, and it
had already arrived and was placed in their rooms.

They washed, dressed their hair, changed their traveling-suits for
evening-dresses and went down into the parlor, where they found Alden
Lytton--who had walked over from the University to meet his sister--in
conversation with Mr. Lyle.

There was quite a joyous greeting. But Alden had to be introduced to
Mrs. Fanning, who had changed so much in the years that had passed since
their last meeting that the young ma