house Mrs. Goodriche's was! it was the very house in
which Mrs. Howard had lived, and it had been scarcely altered for Mrs.
Goodriche. There was what the old lady had called her summer parlour,
because she never sat in it in cold weather; it was low and large, and
had double glass doors, which opened upon the old-fashioned garden; and
there was a short walk which went from the door to the old arbour. The
walls of the room were painted blue, the windows were casements, and
had seats in them, and there was a step up from the floor into the
garden.

The visitors found Mrs. Goodriche in this summer parlour.

After breakfast the two elder ladies took out their work. Mr. Fairchild
walked away somewhere with a book, and the children went into the
arbour. Lucy and Emily had their doll's work, and Henry had his knife
and some bits of wood; it was very hot, so that they could not run
about.

"I love this arbour," said Henry.

_Lucy._ "So do I; don't you remember, Henry, that we were sitting here
once, thinking of poor Emily when she had the fever, when Mrs.
Goodriche came to us and told us that Emily was so much better and the
fever gone, and how glad we were, and how we jumped and screamed? Oh!
that was a dreadful time."

"To me it was not dreadful," replied Emily; "I think I may say it was a
happy time, Lucy, for I had thoughts put into my mind in that illness
which make everything seem different to me ever since. You know what I
mean, Lucy, I can't explain it."

_Lucy._ "I know what you mean, Emily."

_Emily._ "I never felt anything like that till I had the fever, so I
call the fever a happy time."

"I wish you would not talk about it," said Henry; "Lucy and I were
miserable then; were not we, Lucy?"

Mrs. Goodriche dined very early, and after dinner she and Mrs.
Fairchild came into the arbour, and there she told the story which she
had promised.

Story of the Last Days of Mrs. Howard

[Illustration: When Betty returned, Mrs. Howard was well satisfied]

"It was about half a year after the things had happened which are
related in the last story of Mrs. Howard, that Betty, one evening when
she returned from market upon Crop, came into the parlour to her
mistress and said:

"'Ma'am, I have heard a bit of news; Mr. Bennet is going to leave the
country.'

"'Indeed, Betty,' said Mrs. Howard: 'how has that happened?'

"'Some relation towards London has left him a property, and our county
is glad of anythi