and in an hour returned to the bath rooms, to find Nora waiting. She
was soon dressed, much to her own surprise, for she hardly knew the
names of half the articles she had on, and they were once more in the
carriage. As for Thomas, he thought wonders would never cease that
morning.

As they rolled home, Miss Barnes said:--

"Now, Nora, you're to live with me and be my girl. You're not Nora
Dennis; you're Nora Barnes. You're to forget your old life--at least
as much as you can," she added, seeing a shade come over Nora's face.
"And on no account are you to speak of it to the servants in my house.
Do you understand?"

"Yes 'm," said Nora.

"I shall try to make your life happy," Miss Barnes went on a little
more tenderly. "I shall educate you"--

"Please, ma'am, what's that?" asked Nora timidly.

"Teach you to read and write," said Miss Barnes, wincing as she
reflected how much there was to do in this neglected field.

"And, Nora," she went on, "I shall expect you to do as I tell you, and
always to tell me the truth."

"Shall I stay at your house and be warm?" asked Nora.

"Always, poor child, if you try to do right," said Miss Barnes.

"Are these things mine?" was the next question, looking lovingly at
her pretty blue dress and cloak.

"Yes, and you shall have plenty of clothes, and always enough to eat,
Nora. I hope you will never again be so miserable as I found you."

Nora could not comprehend what had come to her. She sat there as
though stupefied, only now and then whispering to herself, "Always
enough to eat, always warm."

"Thomas," said Miss Barnes, in her most peremptory manner, as he held
the carriage-door for her to alight, "I especially desire that you
should not mention to any one where I got this child. I want to make a
new life for her, and I trust to your honor to keep her secret."

Thomas touched his hat.

"Indeed, you may be sure of me, Miss Barnes."

And faithfully he kept his word, although all the household was in
consternation when Miss Barnes installed the child as her adopted
daughter, procured a governess for her, had a complete outfit of
suitable clothes prepared, and, above all, took unwearied pains to
teach her all the little things necessary to place her on a level with
the girls she would meet when she went to school.

Nora soon learned the ways and manners of a lady. She seemed to be
instinctively delicate and lady-like. She was pretty, too, when her
face grew plump an