onversation with her in the
schoolroom, interrupted at last by a summons to speak to a Cocksmoor
woman at the back door, and she was returning from the kitchen, when the
doctor called her into his study.

"Ethel! what is all this? Mary has found Miss Bracy in floods of tears
in the schoolroom, because she says you told her she was ill-tempered."

"I am sure you will be quite as much surprised," said Ethel, somewhat
exasperated, "when you hear that you lacerated her feelings yesterday."

"I? Why, what did I do?" exclaimed Dr. May.

"You showed your evident want of confidence in her."

"I? What can I have done?"

"You met Aubrey and Gertrude in her charge, and you took them away at
once to walk with you."

"Well?"

"Well, that was it. She saw you had no confidence in her."

"Ethel, what on earth can you mean? I saw the two children dragging on
her, and I thought she would see nothing that was going on, and would be
glad to be released; and I wanted them to go with me and see Meta's gold
pheasants."

"That was the offence. She has been breaking her heart all this time,
because she was sure, from your manner, that you were displeased to see
them alone with her--eating bon-bons, I believe, and therefore took them
away."

"Daisy is the worse for her bon-bons, I believe, but the overdose of
them rests on my shoulders. I do not know how to believe you, Ethel. Of
course you told her nothing of the kind crossed my mind, poor thing!"

"I told her so, over and over again, as I have done forty times before
but her feelings are always being hurt."

"Poor thing, poor thing! no doubt it is a trying situation, and she is
sensitive. Surely you are all forbearing with her?"

"I hope we are," said Ethel; "but how can we tell what vexes her?"

"And what is this, of your telling her she was ill-tempered?" asked Dr.
May incredulously.

"Well, papa," said Ethel, softened, yet wounded by his thinking it
so impossible. "I had often thought I ought to tell her that these
sensitive feelings of hers were nothing but temper; and perhaps--indeed
I know I do--I partake of the general fractiousness of the house to-day,
and I did not bear it so patiently as usual. I did say that I thought it
wrong to foster her fancies; for if she looked at them coolly, she would
find they were only a form of pride and temper."

"It did not come well from you, Ethel," said the doctor, looking vexed.

"No, I know it did not," said Ethel meekly; "but