to
search me through and through, and then his whole manner changed.

I have been told that Nature had been kind to me in one respect by
endowing me with a pleasant voice. I believe that I was freer from
vanity than most girls of my age, but I was glad in my inmost heart to
know that no tone of mine would ever jar upon a human ear, but I was
more than glad now when I saw Mr. Morton's grave face relax.

"You speak confidently," he returned. "You seem to have a strange faith
in your own theory, and plenty of self-reliance, but I am afraid that,
like most young people, you have only regarded it from one point of
view. Are you aware of the unpleasantness of such a situation? If you
came to us you might have nothing of which to complain from Mrs. Morton
or myself, but we could not answer for the rest of my household; the
servants would regard you as a sort of hybrid, belonging to no special
sphere; they might show you scant respect, and manifest a great deal of
jealousy."

"I have faced all that," I returned, with a smile, "but I think the
difficulties would be like Bunyan's lions--they were chained, you know.
I do not believe these sort of things would hurt me. I should never be
away from the children in the nursery; I should be unmolested and at
home."

"Alick!" I could hear a whole petition breathed into that softly uttered
word. Mr. Morton heard it too, for he turned at once and then looked at
his wife.

"Do you really wish to try this young person, Violet, my dear? It is for
you to decide; this is your province, as I said before."

"If she will love our children and watch over them in our absence," she
whispered, but I caught the words. Then aloud, "Yes, thank you, Alick, I
should like to try her. I think she would make Joyce happy. I can go and
see Mrs. Keith this afternoon when I am out driving, and perhaps I could
arrange for her to come soon."

"Very well," he returned, briefly, but he spoke in the old dry manner,
as though he were not quite pleased. "When you are disengaged will you
join me in the library? I have some more letters I want copied."

"I will be ready soon," she said, with a sweet grateful glance at him,
as though she had received some unexpected bounty at his hands, and as
he wished me good morning, and left the room, she continued, eagerly,
"Will you come with me now and make acquaintance with the children. I
have seen them already this morning, so they will not expect me, and it
will be s