like it?" said Priscilla, when they had been
there about a quarter of an hour.

"H--u--sh," whispered Mrs. Stanbury.

"I don't suppose she's listening at the door," said Priscilla.

"Indeed, she's not," said Dorothy. "There can't be a truer, honester
woman, than Aunt Stanbury."

"But is she kind to you, Dolly?" asked the mother.

"Very kind; too kind. Only I don't understand her quite, and then
she gets angry with me. I know she thinks I'm a fool, and that's the
worst of it."

"Then, if I were you, I would come home," said Priscilla.

"She'll never forgive you if you do," said Mrs. Stanbury.

"And who need care about her forgiveness?" said Priscilla.

"I don't mean to go home yet, at any rate," said Dorothy. Then there
was a knock at the door, and Martha entered with the cake and wine.
"Miss Stanbury's compliments, ladies, and she hopes you'll take a
glass of sherry." Whereupon she filled out the glasses and carried
them round.

"Pray give my compliments and thanks to my sister Stanbury," said
Dorothy's mother. But Priscilla put down the glass of wine without
touching it, and looked her sternest at the maid.

Altogether, the visit was not very successful, and poor Dorothy
almost felt that if she chose to remain in the Close she must lose
her mother and sister, and that without really making a friend of
her aunt. There had as yet been no quarrel,--nothing that had been
plainly recognised as disagreeable; but there had not as yet come to
be any sympathy, or assured signs of comfortable love. Miss Stanbury
had declared more than once that it would do, but had not succeeded
in showing in what the success consisted. When she was told that the
two ladies were gone, she desired that Dorothy might be sent to her,
and immediately began to make anxious inquiries.

"Well, my dear, and what do they think of it?"

"I don't know, aunt, that they think very much."

"And what do they say about it?"

"They didn't say very much, aunt. I was very glad to see mamma and
Priscilla. Perhaps I ought to tell you that mamma gave me back the
money I sent her."

"What did she do that for?" asked Miss Stanbury very sharply.

"Because she says that Hugh sends her now what she wants." Miss
Stanbury, when she heard this, looked very sour. "I thought it best
to tell you, you know."

"It will never come to any good, got in that way,--never."

"But, Aunt Stanbury, isn't it good of him to send it?"

"I don't know. I suppose it's