r her tenderly, and now at last we have our reward in consigning
her to the willing hands of a young scion of her house. She was Eunice
Brown; she had a sister who married a Judge, as I have often heard her
say; and she herself married Mr. Archibald Starkey, who is now no more.
Caroline, I will call Eunice"; and Mr. Manlius went heavily out of the
room.

Nicholas was very much agitated, and Mrs. Manlius very much excited,
over this sudden turn of affairs.

"Eunice has lived with us fifteen years, come February; and she has been
one of the family, coming in and going out like the rest of us. I found
her on the doorstep one night, and wasn't going to bring her in at
first, because, you see, I didn't know what she might be; when, lo and
behold! she looked up, and said I, 'Eunice Brown!' 'Yes,' said she, and
said she was cold and hungry; and I brought her in, and told Mr.
Manlius, and he came and talked with her, and said he, 'Caroline, there
is character in that woman'; for, Mr. Judge, Mr. Manlius can read
character in a person wonderfully; he has a real gift that way; and,
indeed, he needs it in his profession; and, as I tell him, he was born
an intelligence-officer."

Thus, and with more in the same strain, did Mrs. Manlius give vent to
her feelings, though hardly in the ear of Nicholas, who paced the room
in restless expectation of his aunt's approach. He heard enough to give
a turn to his thoughts; and it was with unaffected sorrow that he
reflected how the lonely woman had been dependent upon the charity, as
it seemed, of others. He saw in her now no longer merely the motherly
aunt who was to welcome him, but one whom he should care for, and take
under his protection. He heard steps in the entry, and easily detected
the ponderous tread of Mr. Manlius, who now opened the door, and
reappeared in more careful toilet, since he was furbished and smoothed
by the addition of proper touches, until he had quite the air of a man
of society. He entered the room with great pomp and ceremony all by
himself, and met Nicholas's disappointed look by saying, slowly,--

"Mrs. Starkey, your beloved aunt, will appear presently"; and throwing a
look about the room, as if he would call the attention of all the people
in the dress-circle, boxes, and amphitheatre, he continued--"I have
intimated to your aunt the nature of your relationship, and I need not
say that she is quite agitated at the prospective meeting. She is a
woman"----

B