. It was selfish, and I hope you will excuse the incivility. I
enclose the key, and as your lodgers do not come in until to-morrow, I
hope the delay will not have inconvenienced you.

"Believe me, yours truly,

"EMILIE SCHOMBERG."

Having sealed her little note, she asked Mrs. Parker's permission to
send it into High Street, and Emilie Schomberg was herself again. You
will see, by-and-bye, how Emilie returned Miss Webster's selfishness in
a matter yet more important than the loan of the piano. It would have
been meeting evil with evil had she retaliated the mean conduct of her
landlady. She would undoubtedly have done so, had she yielded to the
impulses of her nature; but "how then could I have prayed," said Emilie,
"forgive me my trespasses as I forgive them that trespass against me."

The travellers set off early in the morning, and now began the holiday
of both governess and pupil. They loved one another so well that the
prospect of six weeks' close companionship was irksome to neither; but
Emilie had not a holiday of it altogether. Miss Edith was exacting and
petulant at times, even with those she loved, and she loved none better
than Emilie. Fred, the tormenting brother of whom Edith had spoken in
her list of troubles in our first chapter, was undeniably troublesome;
and the three maid-servants set themselves from the very first to resist
the governess's temporary authority; so we are wrong in calling these
Emilie's holidays. She had not, indeed, undertaken the charge very
willingly; but Mrs. Parker had befriended her in extremity, and she
loved Edith dearly, notwithstanding much in her that was not loveable,
so she armed herself for the conflict, and cheerfully and humbly
commenced her new duties.

Fred and his elder brother John were at home for the holidays; they were
high-spirited lads of fourteen and fifteen years of age, and were
particularly fond of teasing both their elder sisters and little Edith;
a taste, by-the-bye, by no means peculiar to the Master Parkers, but one
which we cannot admire, nevertheless.

The two boys, with Emilie and Edith, were on their way to pay aunt Agnes
a little visit, having received from Mrs. Crosse, at the farm, a request
for the honour of the young lady's company as well as that of her
brothers. John and Frederick were to walk, and Emily and Edith were to
go in the little pony gig. As they were leaving the town, Edith caught
sight of John coming out of a shop which was a