was she and not Etheldreda who was expected to carry on
Maud's education.

"I am sure you will be a conscientious teacher, dear; and I hope that
the regular occupation, and the consciousness that you are being of real
use will make life brighter for you. Maud will promise to be an
industrious pupil, won't you, darling?"

Maud eyed Rowena's tragic countenance, and felt it wise to refrain from
rash protestations. She was longing to rush after Dreda to declaim
against this last injustice, and as her mother continued to address
herself pointedly to Rowena, taking no more notice of her own important
presence, she slipped softly from the room.

The two who were left, felt, the one a throb of relief, the other a
chill of acute discomfort, at finding themselves alone. The tie between
this mother and her eldest daughter was a very tender one, and in the
shock of the recent losses Mrs Saxon had unconsciously built much on
Rowena's sympathy and love. Rowena would help. Rowena would
sympathise; Rowena--herself a woman--would understand some things which
even the good husband could not grasp. In the happy, easy days of
prosperity, Rowena could always be relied on to be loving, dutiful, and
considerate--it was a shock to discover that these good qualities had
not enough foundation to withstand the test of adversity. Mrs Saxon
was not angry; only distressed and troubled afresh, and overwhelmingly
anxious to find the right way to her daughter's heart.

"Mother!" cried Rowena sharply. "_How_ did father lose his money? It
seems so strange that it should disappear all of a sudden like this. We
have always had plenty until now. Has he been speculating, or doing
something rash?"

The momentary pause before Mrs Saxon replied and the dignified lifting
of her gentle head were more eloquent than a spoken reproof.

"No, Rowena; there is no blame attaching to your father. There has been
a great failure in America, which has affected many of his investments.
We cannot reproach ourselves for any want of care, and that being so, we
must look upon this change of circumstances as coming to us from God's
hands, and try to learn the lessons which it is intended to teach. To
each of us, perhaps, our own task appears especially hard. You,
darling, have looked forward to a time of pleasure and gaiety, and it is
difficult to give it up cheerfully, and face living quietly in the
country and helping in the house. I understand; I've been