r a
note at Mrs. Trevarthen's."

Mrs. Trevarthen was at her door. She took the note, and, before opening
it, looked at Hester curiously.

"You know what's inside of it, I reckon?" she said, turning to Mr. Benny.

"Not a word."

"My eyes are bad," said Mrs. Trevarthen, who, as a matter of fact, could
not read.

Mr. Benny knew this, and knew also that Mrs. Trevarthen as a rule employed
Aunt Butson to write her few letters and decipher the few that came to
her.

"The light's bad for the time of year," he said. "Shall I read it for
you, missus?"

"No; let _her_ read it," answered the old woman, holding out the letter to
Hester. Hester took it and read--

"Madam,--This is to inform you that the rent of my cottage, at present
occupied by you on a monthly tenancy at 9 pounds per annum, will from
the first of next month be raised to 15 pounds per annum; also that
the tenancy will not, after that date, carry with it a permission to
let lodgings.--Yours truly, S. ROSEWARNE."

In the silence that followed Mrs. Trevarthen fixed her bright beady eyes
steadily on Hester. "You've driven forth my son from me," she said at
length, "and you're driving forth my lodger, and there's nobbut the
almshouse left. Never a day's worry has my son Tom given to me, and never
a ha'p'orth o' harm have we done to you. A foreigner you are and a
stranger; the lad made me promise not to curse 'ee, and I won't. But get
out of my sight, and the Lord deliver us from temptation!--Amen."

Poor Mr. Benny, who had written half a dozen enthusiastic verses on the
opening of the new school, crushed them down in his pocket. He had been
so proud of them, too!

They ran--

"This morning the weather was wreathed in smiles.
And we, correspondingly gay,
Assembled together from several miles
To welcome our Opening Day."

"The children were plastic in body and mind.
Their faces and pinafores clean;
And persons scholastic, in accents refined.
With eloquence pointed the scene."

"Blest scene! as its features we fondly recall,
Come let us give thanks to the Lord!
The Parents, the Teacher, the Managers all,
Including the Clerk to the Board!"

BOOK III.

CHAPTER XVI.

AUNT BUTSON CLOSES SCHOOL.

Next morning when Hester arrived at the school she found Mr. Sam waiting
for her, with Myra, Clem, and a lanky, freckled youth of a