ondly encouraged towards her. Thus prepossessed,
her appearance and manners did much to strengthen his resolve, and
Grahame now felt armed for all encounters with those who, presuming on
their near relationship to his wife, would bring forward numberless
objections to his plans; but he was agreeably mistaken. Lilla was looked
upon by them all as such an evil-minded, ill-informed girl, that it
signified little where she was placed, as she generally brought
discredit on all who had anything to do with her. Miss Malison, however,
excited their sympathy, and Annie declared it was a shameful and
dishonourable thing to dismiss her without notice, after so many years
of devoted service to their family. Poor Lady Helen had to encounter the
storm of upbraiding from her daughter, and the tears and sobs of the
governess, at the ill-treatment she received. In vain Lady Helen
accepted her protestations that she had done her duty; that she was sure
all that could be done for Miss Lilla had been done. Annie declared
that, though her services were no longer required for her ungrateful
sister, she could not do without Miss Malison, for her mother's health
seldom permitted her to walk or drive out. She should absolutely die of
_ennui_ without some one to act in those cases as her chaperon. In this
she was ably seconded by all her mother's family, whose _protegee_ Miss
Malison had long been, and, against his better judgment, Grahame at
length consented that Miss Malison should remain in his family till she
should get another situation as finishing governess. This, of course,
Miss Grahame had determined should not be for some little time.

Mrs. Hamilton had been particularly cautious, in her interview with Mr.
Grahame, not to speak any word for or against Miss Malison; perhaps had
she said what she really thought, even this concession would not have
been made.

Mr. Grahame's fixed and sudden determination to send Lilla to school
was, of course, laid by Annie and her confidant to Mrs. Hamilton's
charge, and increased not a little their prejudice against her, adding
fresh incentive to their schemes for the destruction of her peace, which
Caroline's self-willed conduct now rendered even more easy than it had
previously been.

When all was arranged, when it was decidedly settled that Lilla should
join Mrs. Douglas's establishment at the conclusion of the midsummer
vacation, her father quietly entered the study where she was alone, to
give h