ll settle it all for the best, as He always
do.'

'Ay, ay, Elizabeth,' rejoined Mrs. Crickett with a satirical sigh, as
she turned on her foot to go home, 'good people like you may say so, but
I have always found Providence a different sort of feller.'

5. NOVEMBER THE TWENTIETH

It was Miss Aldclyffe's custom, a custom originated by her father, and
nourished by her own exclusiveness, to unlock the post-bag herself every
morning, instead of allowing the duty to devolve on the butler, as
was the case in most of the neighbouring county families. The bag was
brought upstairs each morning to her dressing-room, where she took out
the contents, mostly in the presence of her maid and Cytherea, who
had the entree of the chamber at all hours, and attended there in the
morning at a kind of reception on a small scale, which was held by Miss
Aldclyffe of her namesake only.

Here she read her letters before the glass, whilst undergoing the
operation of being brushed and dressed.

'What woman can this be, I wonder?' she said on the morning succeeding
that of the last section. '"London, N.!" It is the first time in my
life I ever had a letter from that outlandish place, the North side of
London.'

Cytherea had just come into her presence to learn if there was anything
for herself; and on being thus addressed, walked up to Miss Aldclyffe's
corner of the room to look at the curiosity which had raised such an
exclamation. But the lady, having opened the envelope and read a few
lines, put it quickly in her pocket, before Cytherea could reach her
side.

'O, 'tis nothing,' she said. She proceeded to make general remarks in
a noticeably forced tone of sang-froid, from which she soon lapsed into
silence. Not another word was said about the letter: she seemed very
anxious to get her dressing done, and the room cleared. Thereupon
Cytherea went away to the other window, and a few minutes later left the
room to follow her own pursuits.

It was late when Miss Aldclyffe descended to the breakfast-table and
then she seemed there to no purpose; tea, coffee, eggs, cutlets, and all
their accessories, were left absolutely untasted. The next that was seen
of her was when walking up and down the south terrace, and round the
flower-beds; her face was pale, and her tread was fitful, and she
crumpled a letter in her hand.

Dinner-time came round as usual; she did not speak ten words, or indeed
seem conscious of the meal; for all that Miss Aldclyf