"These, I hope, will please you, my dear Miss Lucy and Miss Emily," she
said; "I brought them for you, and I trust you will like them."

It was well at the moment that Emily was not struck by this kindness in
the way that Lucy was. She was one full year younger than her sister,
and could hardly be supposed to be able to reflect so deeply: she
therefore _could_ look joyful, _could_ run forwards to kiss Miss
Crosbie, and was ready almost to dance with delight, when she looked at
the beautiful things on the table.

Had she not, as it were, pushed herself first, Miss Crosbie must have
been struck, as Mrs. Fairchild was, with the manner of Lucy: the little
girl first flushed up to her brow, and all over her neck. She came
forward to Miss Crosbie but slowly, and with her eyes cast down. She
stood one moment, and then, throwing her arms round her neck and
pressing her face against her shoulder, she sobbed deeply.

Miss Crosbie was certainly surprised; she did not expect that her
present could have made the little girl feel so much. She spoke very
kindly to her, put her arms round her, kissed her several times, and
said:

"But, my dear, a bonnet and a tippet are not worthy of such deep
gratitude; you make me ashamed that I have done so little for you."

"But you are so good, ma'am, so very good!" sobbed Lucy.

Miss Crosbie continued to soothe the little girl, and say kind things
to her, which only made her seem to feel the more. Mr. and Mrs.
Fairchild were certainly surprised, but they took no notice; and after
a little while Lucy became calm, and the affair passed off, Miss
Crosbie appearing to be rather pleased at the manner in which her
present had been received.

Lucy became quite calm after her fit of crying, but her mother observed
that she sighed deeply once or twice. When eight o'clock came, the
children, at a hint from their mother, were wishing their friends
good-night, when Miss Crosbie asked leave for their staying to supper.
Mrs. Fairchild said:

"Not to-night, if you please, Miss Crosbie, but to-morrow night--we
will all sup together to-morrow."

Miss Crosbie kissed Lucy affectionately before she left the room, and
Mrs. Fairchild again saw the tears in the eyes of her little girl, but
she did not appear to take notice of it.

When Lucy and Emily had got into their own room, Lucy at once gave way
to her feelings.

"Oh, Emily, Emily!" she said, as she laid her new bonnet and tippet on
the drawers, "I