my hair, and let Bellairs
stay a little longer. I never thought of that."

"I do not think you will be sorry," said Margaret.

"Yes, I shall, for if my hair does not look nice, papa will not be
pleased, and there is Aunt Leonora coming. How odd it will be to be
without Bellairs! I will ask Mrs. Larpent."

"Oh, yes!" said Margaret. "You must not think we meant to advise; but
papa has seen so many instances of distress, from servants not spared to
their friends in illness, that he feels strongly on the subject."

"And I really might have been as cruel as that woman!" said Meta. "Well,
I hope Mrs. Bellairs may be better, and able to spare her daughter. I
don't know what will become of me without her."

"I think it will have been a satisfaction in one way," said Margaret.

"In what way?"

"Don't you remember what you began by complaining of, that you could not
be of use? Now, I fancy this would give you the pleasure of undergoing a
little personal inconvenience for the good of another."

Meta looked half puzzled, half thoughtful, and Margaret, who was a
little uneasy at the style of counsel she found herself giving, changed
the conversation.

It was a memorable one to little Miss Rivers, opening out to her, as did
almost all her meetings with that family, a new scope for thought and
for duty. The code to which she had been brought up taught that
servants were the machines of their employer's convenience. Good-nature
occasioned much kindliness of manner and intercourse, and every luxury
and indulgence was afforded freely; but where there was any want of
accordance between the convenience of the two parties, there was no
question. The master must be the first object, the servants' remedy was
in their own hands.

Amiable as was Mr. Rivers, this, merely from indulgence and want of
reflection, was his principle; and his daughter had only been acting
on it, though she did not know it, till the feelings that she had
never thought of were thus displayed before her. These were her first
practical lessons that life was not meant to be passed in pleasing
ourselves, and being good-natured at small cost.

It was an effort. Meta was very dependent, never having been encouraged
to be otherwise, and Bellairs was like a necessary of life in her
estimation; but strength of principle came to aid her naturally
kind-hearted feeling, and she was pleased by the idea of voluntarily
undergoing a privation so as to test her sincerity.