moor children--are not you?"

Ethel coloured, and mumbled, and Flora answered for her, "Richard and
Ethel have been there once or twice. You know our under nursery-maid is
a Cocksmoor girl."

"Well, mamma said she could not think how Miss May could take one from
thence. The whole place is full of thieves, and do you know, Bessie
Boulder has lost her gold pencil-case."

"Has she?" said Flora.

"And she had it on Sunday when she was teaching her class."

"Oh!" cried Ethel vehemently; "surely she does not suspect any of those
poor children!"

"I only know such a thing never happened at school before," said Fanny,
"and I shall never take anything valuable there again."

"But is she sure she lost it at school?"

"Oh, yes, quite certain. She will not accuse any one, but it is not
comfortable. And how those children do behave at church!"

"Poor things! they have been sadly neglected," said Flora.

"They are quite spoiling the rest, and they are such figures! Why don't
you, at least, make them cut their hair? You know it is the rule of the
school."

"I know, but half the girls in the first class wear it long."

"Oh, yes, but those are the superior people, that one would not be
strict with, and they dress it so nicely too. Now these are like little
savages."

"Richard thinks it might drive them away to insist at first," said
Ethel; "we will try to bring it about in time."

"Well, Mrs. Ledwich is nearly resolved to insist, so you had better be
warned, Ethel. She cannot suffer such untidiness and rags to spoil the
appearance of the school, and, I assure you, it is quite unpleasant to
the teachers."

"I wish they would give them all to me!" said Ethel. "But I do hope Mrs.
Ledwich will have patience with them, for they are only to be gained
gently."

The visitors took their leave, and the two sisters began
exclaiming--Ethel at their dislike of her proteges, and Flora at what
they had said of Norman. "And you, Ethel, how could you go and tell them
we were surprised, and Norman thought it was hard on the other boys?
They'll have it all over the town that he got it unjustly, and knows it,
as they say already it was partiality of Mr. Everard's."

"Oh, no, no, they never can be so bad!" cried Ethel; "they must have
understood better that it was his noble humility and generosity."

"They understand anything noble! No, indeed! They think every one like
their own beautiful brother! I knew what they came for all the ti