ch I would have loved
dearly:--were it ill for me to wish that my business had been like
hers?"

"Whom enviest thou, my child?" asked Mrs Tremayne very gently.

Clare blushed, and laughed.

"Well, I had not meant to say the same; but in very deed I do envy
Lysken."

"And wherefore, dear heart?"

"Because her work is so much higher and better than mine."

Mrs Tremayne did not answer for a moment. Then she said,--"Tell me,
Clare,--suppose thy father's serving-men and maids should begin to
dispute amongst themselves,--if Sim were to say, `I will no longer serve
in the hall, because 'tis nobler work to ride my master's horses:' or
Kate were to say, `I will no longer sweep the chambers, sith 'tis higher
matter to dress my master's meat:' and Nell,--`I will no longer dress
the meat, sith it were a greater thing to wait upon my mistress in her
chamber,'--tell me, should the work of the house be done better, or
worser?"

"Worser, no doubt."

"Well, dear heart, and if so, why should God's servants grudge to do the
differing works of their Master? If thou art of them, thy Master, hath
set thee thy work. He saw what thou wert fit to do, and what was fit to
be done of thee; and the like of Lysken. He hath set thee where thou
art; and such work as thou hast to do there is His work for thee. Alway
remembering,--if thou art His servant."

Clare did not quite like that recurring conjunction. It sounded as if
Mrs Tremayne doubted the fact.

"You think me not so?" she asked in a low voice.

"I hope thou art, dear Clare. But thou shouldst know," was the
searching answer.

There was silence after that, till Clare said, with a sigh, "Then you
reckon I ought not to wish for different work?"

"I think not, my maid, that wishing and discontent be alway one and the
same. I may carry a burden right willingly and cheerfully, and yet feel
it press hard, and be glad to lay it down. Surely there is no ill that
thou shouldest say to thy Father, `If it be Thy will, Father, I would
fain have this or that.' Only be content with His ordering, if He
should answer, `Child, thou hast asked an evil thing.'"

There was another pause, during which Clare was thinking.

"Am I the first to whom thou hast opened thine heart hereon, dear
Clare?"

"Well, I did let fall a word or twain at home," said Clare smiling; "but
I found no like feeling in response thereto."

"Not even from Margaret?"

"Meg thought there was work enough at ho