er she begged Eleanor to put it away.

"You'll tire your eyes, my dear, I'm sure; pray rest a little and chat
to us."

"I don't look at my knitting," said Eleanor; but she put it away, and
then sat looking rather red in the face, and somewhat encumbered with
her empty hands, which were red too.

I think Uncle Buller noticed this; for he told us to get the big
scrap-book and show it to Miss Arkwright.

Eleanor got cool again over the book; but she said little till, pausing
before a small, black-looking print in a sheet full of rather coarse
coloured caricatures, cuttings from illustrated papers and old-fashioned
books, second-rate lithographs, and third-rate original sketches, fitted
into a close patchwork, she gave a sort of half-repressed cry.

"My dear! What is it?" cried Matilda effusively.

"I think," said Eleanor, looking for information to Aunt Theresa, "I
think it's a real Rembrandt, isn't it?"

"A real what, my dear?" said Mrs. Buller.

"One of Rembrandt's etchings," said Eleanor; "and of course I don't
know, but I think it must be an original; it's so beautifully done, and
my mother has a copy of this one. We know ours is a copy, and I think
this must be an original, because all the things are turned the other
way; and it's very old, and it's beautifully done," Eleanor repeated,
with her face over the little black print.

Major Buller came across the room, and sat down by her.

"You are fond of drawing?" he said.

"Very," said Eleanor, and she threw a good deal of eloquence into the
one word.

The Major and she forthwith plunged into a discussion of drawing,
etching, line-engraving, &c., &c. It appeared that Mrs. Arkwright
etched on copper, and had a good collection of old etchings, with which
Eleanor was familiar. It also transpired that she was a naturalist,
which led by easy stages to a promise from the Major to show Eleanor his
insects.

They talked till bedtime, and when Aunt Theresa bade us good-night, she
said:

"I'm glad you've found your voice, my dear;" and she added, laughing,
"But whenever Papa talks to anybody, it always ends in the collection."

CHAPTER XII.

POOR MATILDA--THE AWKWARD AGE--MRS. BULLER TAKES COUNSEL WITH HER
FRIENDS--THE "MILLINER AND MANTUAMAKER"--MEDICAL ADVICE--THE MAJOR
DECIDES.

It was not because Major Buller's high opinion of Miss Airlie was in any
way lowered that he decided to send us to school. In fact it was only
under long and heavy pressu