ther
married." I once asked my Aunt Dorothea--that is, Uncle Charles's
wife--if this wretched great-grandmother of mine had been a very bad
woman. But she said, "Oh no, not _bad_"--and I think she might have
told me something more, but my Uncle Charles put in, in that commanding
way he has, "Could not have been worse, my dear Dorothea--connected with
those Dissenters,"--so I got to know no more, and I was sorry.

Father once had two more sisters, who were both married, one in
Derbyshire, and one in Scotland. They both left children, so we have
two lots of cousins on Father's side. Our cousins in Derbyshire are
both girls; their names are Charlotte and Amelia Bracewell: and there
are two of our Scotch cousins, but they are a boy and a girl, and they
have queer Scotch names, Angus and Flora Drummond. At least, they were
boy and girl, I suppose; for Angus Drummond must be over twenty now, and
Flora is not far off it. It is more than ten years since we saw the
Drummonds, but the Bracewells have been to visit us several times.
Amelia Bracewell is Fanny made hotter, or Fanny is Amelia and water--
which you like. She makes me laugh, and my Aunt Kezia sniff. The other
day, my Aunt Kezia came into the room while we were talking about
Amelia, and she heard Fanny say,--

"She is so full of sympathy. She always comes and wants you to
sympathise with her. She just lives upon sympathy."

"So full of sympathy!" said my Aunt Kezia, turning round on Fanny. "So
empty, child, you mean. What poor weak thing are you talking about?"

"Cousin Amelia Bracewell," answered Fanny. "She is such a charming
creature. Don't you think so, Aunt Kezia? Such a dear sympathetic
darling!"

"It is well you told me whom you meant, Fanny," said my Aunt Kezia,
pursing up her lips. "I should never have guessed you meant Amelia
Bracewell, from what you said. Well, how differently two people can see
the same thing, to be sure!"

"Don't you like her, Aunt Kezia?" returned Fanny in an astonished tone.

"If I am to speak the full truth, my dear," said my Aunt Kezia, "I am
afraid I come as near to despising her as a Christian woman and a
communicant has any business to do. I never had any fancy for birds of
prey."

"Birds of prey!" exclaimed Fanny, blankly.

"Birds of prey," repeated my aunt in a very different tone. "She is one
of those folks who are for ever drawing twopenny cheques upon your
feelings, and there are no funds in my bank