_she_ think about it?' Esther asked.

She looked as she spoke at the young lady who had given the instance,
but the latter took no notice, until Miss Fairbairn said,

'Miss Baines, a question was put to you.'

'I am sure I don't know,' Miss Baines replied. 'They _say_ she is a
very happy old woman.'

'You doubt it?'

'I should not be happy in her place, ma'am. I don't see, for my part,
how it is possible. And it seems to me certainly she wants a great many
things.'

'What do you think, Miss Gainsborough.'

'I think the Bible must be true, ma'am.'

'That is Faith's answer.'

'And then, the word is, "Blessed is every one that _feareth the Lord;_"
it is true of nobody else, I suppose.'

'My dear, is that the answer of Experience?'

'I do not know, ma'am.' But Esther's smile gave a very convincing
affirmative. 'But the promise is, "No good thing will He withhold from
them that walk uprightly."'

'There you have it. "No good thing;" and, "from them that walk
uprightly." Miss Disbrow, when you were getting well of that fever, did
your mother let you eat everything?'

'Oh no, ma'am; not at all.'

'What did she keep from you?'

'Nearly everything I liked, ma'am.'

'Was it cruelty, or kindness?'

'Kindness, of course. What I liked would have killed me.'

'Then she withheld from you "no good thing," hey? while she kept from
you nearly everything you liked.'

There was silence all round the table. Then Miss Baines spoke again.

'But, ma'am, that old woman has not a fever, and she don't get any nice
things to eat.'

'It is quite likely she enjoys her meals more than you do yours. But
granting she does not, are you the physician to know what is good for
her?'

'She does not want any physician, ma'am.'

A laugh ran round the table, and Miss Fairbairn let the subject drop.
When dinner was nearly over, however, she remarked:

'You want light for your practising. I will excuse you, Miss
Gainsborough, if you wish to go.'

Esther went, very willingly. Then Miss Fairbairn held one of her little
discourses, with which now and then she endeavoured to edify her pupils.

'Young ladies, I am going to ask you to take pattern by Miss
Gainsborough. Did you notice her movements when she went to do that
little errand for me?'

Silence. Then murmurs of assent were heard, not very loud, nor
enthusiastic. Miss Fairbairn did not expect that, nor care. What she
wanted was to give her lesson.

'Did you observe how s