gentleman of such politeness."

"What a pity," said Peggy to herself, "that I ever should have told the
young ladies that daft-like story about me and the master. I wish I had
bitten my tongue out first. But who was to think of him turning up like
this? And he's just the man for Miss Elsie; but I have made her laugh
at him, and I misdoubt if her proud spirit will bend to him. And after
all, what the worse is he, if she had known nothing about it. And I
dare say all young men are alike; and he's better than the most half of
them. There was Elsie so taken up with that lad Dalzell, that came
courting Miss Jean, and if she had heard half that was said about him,
poor Mr. Brandon would have been a saint in comparison. But an opening
for Miss Jane is aye worth something. To think of her being put under
the like of Mrs. Phillips; and it's like I'll see Emily--a spoiled
bairn, no doubt--but she had naturally a fine disposition, at least
humanly speaking."

It was not in human nature, however, that Peggy should quite lose sight
of her own concerns in her pleasure at the thought of Miss Melville
having something better to do than dressmaking. The recollection of the
years of hard work that had converted her little shop into a freehold,
her old pride in having her title made out on parchment, the hurry she
had been in to get it let, to go home by a particular ship, and the
obstinate way in which her tenant's wife insisted on a right of
purchase, and her own reluctant admission of the clause, thinking that
as the house was not new, 250 pounds was an outside value for it, and
now to think of its being such a kingdom. The town had run up to her
little suburban shop, and far past it; on every side the monster,
Melbourne, had been adding to his extent, and now, on account of the
bit of garden and large yard, that she had thought would be so nice for
the children, when she had them out, and that she had bought very
cheap, the value of her property was increased tenfold--but she was
none the richer. The sacrifice she had made had turned out even greater
than she had expected, and now she could not help thinking of how she
would miss Miss Melville, and what a loss it would be to her bairns;
and how she was to keep Miss Elsie in tolerable spirits without her
sister was another perplexity.

The duties of the day were gone through as usual, however; but when the
children and the old man had gone to bed, Peggy made up her mind to
make a ma