proud to have a heart that never hardens, and a temper
that never tires, and a touch that never hurts,' Miss Jenny struck in,
flushed, 'she is proud. And if it's not, she is NOT.'

Her set purpose of contradicting Miss Abbey point blank, was so far from
offending that dread authority, as to elicit a gracious smile. 'You do
right, child,' said Miss Abbey, 'to speak well of those who deserve well
of you.'

'Right or wrong,' muttered Miss Wren, inaudibly, with a visible hitch of
her chin, 'I mean to do it, and you may make up your mind to THAT, old
lady.'

'Here is the paper, madam,' said the Jew, delivering into Miss
Potterson's hands the original document drawn up by Rokesmith, and
signed by Riderhood. 'Will you please to read it?'

'But first of all,' said Miss Abbey, '--did you ever taste shrub,
child?'

Miss Wren shook her head.

'Should you like to?'

'Should if it's good,' returned Miss Wren.

'You shall try. And, if you find it good, I'll mix some for you with hot
water. Put your poor little feet on the fender. It's a cold, cold night,
and the fog clings so.' As Miss Abbey helped her to turn her chair, her
loosened bonnet dropped on the floor. 'Why, what lovely hair!' cried
Miss Abbey. 'And enough to make wigs for all the dolls in the world.
What a quantity!'

'Call THAT a quantity?' returned Miss Wren. 'Poof! What do you say to
the rest of it?' As she spoke, she untied a band, and the golden stream
fell over herself and over the chair, and flowed down to the ground.
Miss Abbey's admiration seemed to increase her perplexity. She beckoned
the Jew towards her, as she reached down the shrub-bottle from its
niche, and whispered:

'Child, or woman?'

'Child in years,' was the answer; 'woman in self-reliance and trial.'

'You are talking about Me, good people,' thought Miss Jenny, sitting in
her golden bower, warming her feet. 'I can't hear what you say, but I
know your tricks and your manners!'

The shrub, when tasted from a spoon, perfectly harmonizing with Miss
Jenny's palate, a judicious amount was mixed by Miss Potterson's skilful
hands, whereof Riah too partook. After this preliminary, Miss Abbey read
the document; and, as often as she raised her eyebrows in so doing,
the watchful Miss Jenny accompanied the action with an expressive and
emphatic sip of the shrub and water.

'As far as this goes,' said Miss Abbey Potterson, when she had read it
several times, and thought about it, 'it proves (wha