good side of the golden sovereign, only that it was all
powerful to bless.

How unnatural it seems that a girl like this, that young and fresh and
full of generous feelings as she was, her whole mind should perforce be
taken up with the question of money; an unnatural and evil state of
things.

It seems to me very wicked that it should be so.

[Illustration]

[Illustration]

CHAPTER XXV.

THOUGH the portfolio was pushed aside and dust had gathered on the
table, except where her arm touched it, Amaryllis came daily, and often
twice a day, to her flowers to pray.

From the woods she brought the delicate primrose opening on the mossy
bank among the grey ash-stoles; the first tender green leaflet of
hawthorn coming before the swallow; the garden crocus from the grass of
the garden; the first green spikelet from the sward of the meadow; the
beautiful white wild violets gathered in the sunlit April morning while
the nightingale sang.

With these she came to pray each day, at the window-niche. After she had
sat awhile at the table that morning, thinking, she went and knelt at
the window with her face in her hands; the scent of the violets filled
her hair.

Her prayer was deeper than words and was not put in language, but came
rushing through her heart;--"That her dear mother might not suffer any
more, that the strain of ceaseless trouble might be removed from her
mind, that peace and rest might come to her in her old age. Let her step
become firm, and the nervousness depart, and her eyes shine like they
used to, so clear and bright, and do not let the grey hairs show more
than they do now, or increase in number. Let her smile and be happy and
talk cheerfully, and take an interest in the house and all the order of
household things, and also see and understand that her husband meant to
please her, even in such a little thing as splitting up useful wood for
the fire, that he intended to please her, and that she might not
misunderstand him any more. He intended to be kind in many ways, but
misfortune had blinded her, and she took things the wrong way. And give
her more change and friends to ask her out from home on visits, so that
she might be amused, and make them come to see her and pass the time in
contentment. Give her also enough money to buy good clothes so as to
look nice as she ought to do, and if possible a conveyance of some
kind--not a grand carriage, she did not wish for that--but a conveyance