he envelopes before her with the addresses uppermost.

"`Miss Thorne, The Schools, Plumton All Saints,' all addressed the same.
This, then, is the reason why poor Edward Geringer has been refused."

Here there was another examination of the postmarks.

"Three gentlemen, and all living at Plumton. Now, really, Hazel, it is
not proper. It is not ladylike. One gentleman would have been bad
enough, in clandestine correspondence; though, perhaps, if there had
been two it would be because she had not quite made up her mind. But
three gentlemen! It is positively disgraceful, and I shall stop it at
once!"

This time, in changing the position of the letters, Mrs Thorne turned
them upside down.

"I remember at the time poor Thorne was paying me attentions how Mr
Deputy Cheaply and Mr Meriton, of the Common Council, both wished to
pay me attentions as well; but, no: I said it would not be correct. And
I little thought, after all my efforts, that a child of mine would be so
utterly forgetful of her self-respect as to behave like this. Ah,
Hazel! Hazel! It is no wonder that the silver threads begin to appear
fast in my poor hair."

Mrs Thorne placed the envelopes beneath her apron as the two children
came bustling in, one with the cloth, and the other with the
bread-trencher, to prepare the breakfast.

"Hazel's fast asleep, ma, and we're going to get breakfast ready
ourselves."

"I'm sure I don't know why your sister can't come down, my dears," said
Mrs Thorne pettishly. "It is very thoughtless of her, knowing, as she
does, how poorly I am."

"Sis Hazy has got a very bad headache, mamma; and we dressed quietly and
came down and lit the fire quite early."

"Oh, it was you lit the fire, was it!" said Mrs Thorne. "I thought it
was one of the schoolgirls."

"No; it was us, ma dear; and when we've made the tea we're going to take
poor Hazy a cup in bed."

"Whoever can these letters be from?" said Mrs Thorne to herself, as she
turned them over and over in her hands, growing quite flushed and
excited the while. "I declare I don't know when I have felt so hurt and
troubled;" and going into the little parlour, leaving the children busy
over the preparations, she once more examined them carefully, and ended
by taking out her scissors.

"I don't care!" she exclaimed; "it is my duty as Hazel's mamma to watch
over her, and I should not be doing that duty if I did not see who are
the gentlemen who correspond with her.