of the
flower borders, had better be looked at than touched by such as dreaded
sooty fingers. These shrubs veiled the garden from the great river
thoroughfare, to which it sloped down, still showing traces of the
handsome stone steps and balustrade that once had formed the access of
the gold-chained alderman to his sumptuous barge.

Along those paths paced, book in hand, a tall, well-grown maiden, of good
straight features, and clear, pale skin, with eyes and rich luxuriant
hair of the same colour, a peculiarly bright shade of auburn, such as
painters of old had loved, and Owen Sandbrook called golden, while
Humfrey Charlecote would declare he was always glad to see Honor's
carrots.

More than thirty years ago, personal teaching at a London parish school
or personal visiting of the poor was less common than at present, but
Honora had been bred up to be helpful, and she had newly come in from a
diligent afternoon of looking at the needlework, and hearing Crossman's
Catechism and Sellon's Abridgment from a demurely dressed race of little
girls in tall white caps, bibs and tuckers, and very stout indigo-blue
frocks. She had been working hard at the endeavour to make the little
Cockneys, who had never seen a single ear of wheat, enter into Joseph's
dreams, and was rather weary of their town sharpness coupled with their
indifference and want of imagination, where any nature, save human
nature, was concerned. 'I will bring an ear of Hiltonbury wheat home
with me--some of the best girls shall see me sow it, and I will take them
to watch it growing up--the blade, the ear, the full corn in the
ear--poor dears, if they only had a Hiltonbury to give them some tastes
that are not all for this hot, busy, eager world! If I could only see
one with her lap full of bluebells; but though in this land of Cockaigne
of ours, one does not actually pick up gold and silver, I am afraid they
are our flowers, and the only ones we esteem worth the picking; and like
old Mr. Sandbrook, we neither understand nor esteem those whose aims are
otherwise! Oh! Owen, Owen, may you only not be withheld from your
glorious career! May you show this hard, money-getting world that you do
really, as well as only in word, esteem one soul to be reclaimed above
all the wealth that can be laid at your feet! The nephew and heir of the
great Firm voluntarily surrendering consideration, ease, riches,
unbounded luxury for the sake of the heathen--choosing a wig