e did last night."

Loveday began a formal leave-taking curtsey, but presently turned back.
"There now," she said, "I cannot do it, I couldn't sleep a wink for
thinking of you among the rats! Look here, I shall send a porter to
bring away those shells if you'll make up their bags again that the
nasty vermin have eaten, and there's a little terrier dog about the
place that no one will miss, he shall bring it down, and depend upon it,
the rats won't venture near it."

"Oh! thank you, Mrs. Loveday, how good you are!"

"Ah, don't then! If you could say that my dear!"

Mrs. Loveday hurried away, and after breakfasting, Aurelia repaired the
ravages of the rats, and made a last sorting of the residuum of shell
dust, discovering numerous minute beauties, which awoke in her the happy
thought of the Creator's individual love.

She had not yet finished before Madge's voice was heard in querulous
anger, and a heavy tread came along with her. A big man, who could have
carried ten times the weight of the box of shells, came in with a little
white dog with black ears, under his arm.

"There," said the amiable guardian of the house, "that smart madam says
that it's her ladyship's pleasure you should have that little beast to
keep down the rats. As if my cats was not enough! But mind you, Madam
Really, if so be he meddles with my cats, it will be the worse for him."

The porter took up the box, and departed, and Aurelia was left with
her new companion sniffing all round the room, much excited by the
neighbourhood of his natural enemies. However, he obeyed her call, and
let her make friends, and read the name on the brass plate upon his
collar. When she read "Sir A. Belamour, Bart.," she took the little dog
in her arms and kissed it's white head.

Being fairly rested, and having no task to accomplish, she felt the day
much longer, though less solitary, in the companionship of the dog, to
whom she whispered many fond compliments, and vain questions as to his
name. With him at her heels and Madge and her cats safely shut into the
kitchen, she took courage to wander about the dull court, and then to
explore the mansion and try to get a view from the higher windows, in
case they were not shuttered up like the lower ones. The emptiness
of Bowstead was nothing to this, and she smiled to herself at having
thought herself a prisoner there.

Most of the rooms were completely dismantled, or had only ghastly rags
of torn leather or tapest