of the children had learned to
behave better, while others behaved worse; Ethel began to know what she
was about; Richard's gentleness was eminently successful with the little
girls, impressing good manners on them in a marvellous way; and Mary's
importance and happiness with alphabet scholars, some bigger than
herself, were edifying. Cocksmoor was fairly launched.

The next memorable day was that of Margaret's being first carried
downstairs. She had been willing to put it off as long as she could,
dreading to witness the change below-stairs, and feeling, too, that in
entering on the family room, without power of leaving it, she was losing
all quiet and solitude, as well as giving up that monopoly of her father
in his evenings, which had been her great privilege.

However, she tried to talk herself into liking it; and was rewarded
by the happy commotion it caused, though Dr. May was in a state of
excitement and nervousness at the prospect of seeing her on the stairs,
and his attempts to conceal it only made it worse, till Margaret knew
she should be nervous herself, and wished him out of sight and out of
the house till it was over, for without him she had full confidence in
the coolness and steadiness of Richard, and by him it was safely and
quietly accomplished. She was landed on the sofa, Richard and Flora
settling her, and the others crowding round and exclaiming, while the
newness of the scene and the change gave her a sense of confusion, and
she shut her eyes to recover her thoughts, but opened them the next
instant at her father's exclamation that she was overcome, smiled to
reassure him, and declared herself not tired, and to be very glad to be
among them again. But the bustle was oppressive, and her cheerful manner
was an effort; she longed to see them all gone, and Flora found it
out, sent the children for their walk, and carried off Ethel and the
brothers.

Dr. May was called out of the room at the same time, and she was left
alone. She gazed round her, at the room where, four months before, she
had seen her mother with the babe in her arms, the children clustered
round her, her father exulting in his hen-and-chicken daisies, herself
full of bright undefined hope, radiant with health and activity, and her
one trouble such that she now knew the force of her mother's words, that
it only proved her happiness. It was not till that moment that Margaret
realised the change; found her eyes filling with tears, as sh