cious favor; and before the
end of the first week, she had more influence over them than mother and
nurse together. The subdued and gentle governess soon had the love of
all at Thetford Towers, except its mistress, from Mrs. Hilliard, the
stately housekeeper, down. She was so courteous and considerate, so
anxious to avoid giving trouble. Above all, that fixed expression of
settled sadness on her pale face, made its way to every heart. She had
full charge of the children now: they took their meals with her, and she
had them in her keeping the best part of the day--an office that was no
sinecure. When they were with their nurse, or my lady, the governess sat
alone in the east parlor, looking out dreamily at the summer landscape,
with her own brooding thoughts.

One evening, when she had been at Thetford Towers over a fortnight, Mrs.
Hilliard, coming in, found her sitting dreamily by herself, neither
reading nor working. The children were in the drawing-room, and her
duties were over for the day.

"I am afraid you don't make yourself at home here," said the
good-natured housekeeper; "you stay too much alone, and it isn't good
for young people like you."

"I am used to solitude," replied the governess, with a smile that ended
in a sigh, "and I have grown to like it. Will you take a seat?"

"No," said Mrs. Hilliard. "I heard you say the other day you would like
to go over the house; so, as I have a couple of hours' leisure, I will
show it to you now."

The governess rose eagerly.

"I have been wanting to see it so much," she said, "but I feared to give
trouble by asking. It is very good of you to think of me, dear Mrs.
Hilliard."

"She isn't much used to people thinking of her," reflected the
housekeeper, "or she wouldn't be so grateful for trifles. Let me see,"
aloud, "you have seen the drawing-room, and the library, and that is
all, except your own apartments. Well come this way, I'll show you the
old south-wing."

Through long corridors, up wide, black, slippery staircases, into vast,
unused rooms, where ghostly echoes and darkness had it all to
themselves, Mrs. Hilliard led the governess.

"These apartments have been unused since before the late Sir Noel's
time," said Mrs. Hilliard; "his father kept them full in the hunting
season, and at Christmas time. Since Sir Noel's death, my lady has shut
herself up and received no company, and gone nowhere. She is beginning
to go out more of late than she has done ever