er, an
unwelcome fate. At the same time it was a pleasure to obtain definite
information as to her parentage, and also to find that in Lady Eleanor
she had a friend who had known and loved her mother, and who was bound
to herself by a sacred tie. That Jim had proved not to be her brother
was, if the truth be told, a relief. Elsie had often reproached
herself that she did not feel for him that sisterly affection which she
believed it her duty to cultivate. In fact she began to like Jim
better now, partly because he was decidedly improved by the "taking
down" he had received, and partly because affection was no longer a
duty to which the girl had to school her heart.

Lady Eleanor's letter was kind in the extreme. She told Elsie in
simple language how they had all loved her mother, and enclosed for her
perusal the one or two letters that had been preserved. "Although
Elsie could not remember their last meeting, yet they were not
strangers, since Lady Eleanor did not forget that she had held her in
her arms at the baptismal font." Elsie was urged most affectionately
to go over to England, if it were only for a time; and it was suggested
that if she settled there Mrs. McAravey might accompany her. Elsie,
however, felt at once that, even could she bear the journey, it would
be a cruelty to transplant the aged woman from her native soil to a
region where she would find all things alien and strange. Nor would
she entertain the idea of deserting the poor old body, though Mrs.
McAravey stoically offered to give her up.

"I won't stand in your way, Elsie, lass, though I can't bear to think
of it; but it's not long I'll be here to trouble anyone, and I'd like
to know you were well provided."

But Elsie would not be persuaded, nor could her new friends do
otherwise than approve her noble resolve. They were disappointed, but
felt that such a girl was worthy of their affection and patronage, and
trusted that time would afford them opportunities of benefiting her.

The winter that ensued was a trying one. The snow lay deep on the
moors, so that Tor Bay was practically shut off from the rest of the
world. The rector was not able to get over, and even George Hendrick's
visits were few and far between. For several weeks Elsie could not go
to church, and when she did the fatigue and wet brought on a cold which
stuck to her all the winter. Old Mrs. McAravey seemed fast approaching
her end; she long had been quite crippled