stily away and going to his room.

She was puzzled again. "I'm sure I don't dote on self-sacrifice and
hard duty any more than he does, but I can't tell him that duty is not
hard when it's to him."

Jane was given the room over the kitchen which Mrs. Wiggins had
occupied, and the farmhouse soon adopted her into its quiet routine.
Holcroft's course continued to cause Alida a dissatisfaction which she
could scarcely define. He was as kind as ever he had been and even more
considerate; he not only gratified her wishes, but tried to anticipate
them, while Jane's complete subserviency proved that she had been
spoken to very plainly.

One day she missed her spelling lesson for the third time, and Alida
told her that she must learn it thoroughly before going out. The child
took the book reluctantly, yet without a word. "That's a good girl!"
said Alida, wishing to encourage her. "I was afraid at first you
wouldn't mind me so readily."

"He told me to. He'd fire me out the window if I didn't mind you."

"Oh, no! I think he's very kind to you."

"Well, he's kind to you, too."

"Yes, he has always been kind to me," said Alida gently and
lingeringly, as if the thought were pleasant to dwell upon.

"Say," said Jane, yielding to her curiosity, "how did you make him so
afraid of you when he don't like you? He didn't like mother, but he
wasn't afraid of her."

"Why do you think he doesn't like me?" Alida faltered, turning very
pale.

"Oh! 'Cause he looked once jest as he did after mother'd been goin'
for--"

"There, be still! You mustn't speak of such things, or talk to me
about Mr. Holcroft in such a way," and she hastily left the kitchen.
When in the solitude of her own room, she gave way to bitter tears. "Is
it so plain," she thought, "that even this ignorant child sees it? And
the unhappy change began the day she came, too. I can't understand it.
We were so happy before; and he seemed to enjoy being near me and
talking to me when his work permitted. He used to look into my eyes in
a way that made me hope and, indeed, feel almost sure. I receive no
more such looks; he seems only trying to do his duty by me as he
promised at first, and acts as if it were all duty, a mere matter of
conscience. Could he have discovered how I felt, and so is taking this
way to remind me that nothing of the kind was in our agreement? Well,
I've no reason to complain; I accepted the relation of my own free
will, but it's hard, ha