s, and hoped he was better.

'No,' rejoined the schoolmaster shaking his head sorrowfully, 'no
better. They even say he is worse.'

'I am very sorry for that, Sir,' said the child.

The poor schoolmaster appeared to be gratified by her earnest manner,
but yet rendered more uneasy by it, for he added hastily that anxious
people often magnified an evil and thought it greater than it was; 'for
my part,' he said, in his quiet, patient way, 'I hope it's not so. I
don't think he can be worse.'

The child asked his leave to prepare breakfast, and her grandfather
coming down stairs, they all three partook of it together. While the
meal was in progress, their host remarked that the old man seemed much
fatigued, and evidently stood in need of rest.

'If the journey you have before you is a long one,' he said, 'and don't
press you for one day, you're very welcome to pass another night here.
I should really be glad if you would, friend.'

He saw that the old man looked at Nell, uncertain whether to accept or
decline his offer; and added,

'I shall be glad to have your young companion with me for one day. If
you can do a charity to a lone man, and rest yourself at the same time,
do so. If you must proceed upon your journey, I wish you well through
it, and will walk a little way with you before school begins.'

'What are we to do, Nell?' said the old man irresolutely, 'say what
we're to do, dear.'

It required no great persuasion to induce the child to answer that they
had better accept the invitation and remain. She was happy to show her
gratitude to the kind schoolmaster by busying herself in the
performance of such household duties as his little cottage stood in
need of. When these were done, she took some needle-work from her
basket, and sat herself down upon a stool beside the lattice, where the
honeysuckle and woodbine entwined their tender stems, and stealing into
the room filled it with their delicious breath. Her grandfather was
basking in the sun outside, breathing the perfume of the flowers, and
idly watching the clouds as they floated on before the light summer
wind.

As the schoolmaster, after arranging the two forms in due order, took
his seat behind his desk and made other preparations for school, the
child was apprehensive that she might be in the way, and offered to
withdraw to her little bedroom. But this he would not allow, and as he
seemed pleased to have her there, she remained, busying herse