o grandmammas
left to be a comfort to.

Mrs Enderby struggled to say, "Hush, Phoebe;" but she found she could
not speak. George was desired to go with his sister, and was scarcely
allowed time to kiss his grandmamma. While Phoebe was taking the
children down stairs, Mrs Rowland wondered that some people allowed
their servants to take such liberties as were taken; and gave notice
that though she tolerated Phoebe, because Phoebe's mistress had taken a
fancy to her, she could not allow her family plans to be made a subject
of remark to her mother's domestics. Mrs Enderby had not quite decided
upon her line of reply, when Phoebe came back, and occupied herself in
supplying her mistress, first with a freshly-heated footstool, and then
with a cup of arrowroot.

"Where do you get your arrowroot, ma'am?" asked Mrs Rowland. "I want
some extremely for my poor dear Anna; and I can procure none that is at
all to compare with yours."

"Mrs Grey was so kind as to send me some, my dear; and it really is
excellent. Phoebe, how much of it is there left? I dare say there may
be enough for a cup or two for dear little Anna."

Phoebe replied, that there was very little left--not any more than her
mistress would require before she could grow stronger. Mrs Rowland
would not take the rest of the arrowroot on any account: she was only
wondering where Mrs Grey got it, and how it was that the Greys always
contrived to help themselves to the best of everything. Phoebe was
going to observe that they helped their neighbours to good things as
well as themselves; but a look from her mistress stopped her. Mrs
Enderby remarked that she had no doubt she could learn from Mrs Grey or
Sophia, the next time she saw either of them, where they procured their
arrowroot. "It is a long time since I saw Mrs Grey," she observed,
timidly.

"My dear ma'am, how can you think of seeing any one in your present
state?" inquired the daughter. "One need but see the flush in your
face, to know that it would be highly improper for you to admit company.
I could not take the responsibility of allowing it."

"But Mrs Grey is not company, my love."

"Any one is company to an invalid. I assure you I prevented Mr
Rowland's coming for the reason I assign. He was coming yesterday, but
I would not let him."

"I should like to see him, however. And I should like to see Mrs Grey
too."

Under pretence of arranging her mistress's shawl, Phoebe touched the old