ght, above all happy, and full of a
kind of loving power. 'The Lord said "hath"; He did not say will
"have."'

'Miss Gainsborough, you talk riddles.'

'I am sorry,' said Esther; 'I do not mean to do that. I am speaking the
simplest truth. We were made to be happy in the love of God; and as we
were made for that, nothing less will do.'

'Are you happy? My dear, I need not ask; your face speaks for you. I
believe that pricked me on to ask the question with which we began, in
pure envy. I see you are happy. But confess honestly now, honestly, and
quite between ourselves, confess there is some delightful lover
somewhere, who provokes those smiles, with which no doubt you reward
him?'

Esther's grey eyes opened unmistakeably at her hostess while she was
speaking, and then a light colour rose on her cheek, and then she
laughed.

'I neither have, nor ever expect to have, anything of the kind,' she
said. And then she was no longer to be detained, but took leave, and
went away.

'She is a little too certain about the lover,' remarked Miss Frere.
'That looks as if there were already one, _in petto_.'

'She is poor,' said Mrs. Chatsworth. 'She has not much chance. I
believe she supports herself and her father--he is old or invalid or
something--by teaching; perhaps they have a little something to help
her out. But I fancy she sees very little society. I never meet her
anywhere. The lady in whose house she was educated is a very warm
friend of hers, and she introduced her to me. So I get her to come here
sometimes for a little change.'

Betty went home with a great many thoughts in her mind, which kept her
half the night awake. Jealousy perhaps pricked her the most. Not that
Pitt loved this girl; about that Betty was not sure; but how he would
love her if he could see her! How anybody would, especially a man of
refined nature and truth of character, who requires the same in those
connected with him. What a pure creature this was! and then, she was
not only tender, but strong. The look on her face, the lines of her
lips, told surely of self-control, self-denial, and habitual patience.
People do not look so, who have all they need of this world's goods,
and have always dipped their hands into full money bags. No; Esther had
something to bear, and something to do, both of which called for and
called out that strength and sweetness; and yet she was so
happy!--happy after Pitt's fashion. And this was the girl he had been
loo