tion for her as governess or teacher.

At length, one day, some months after her brother's death, Mr. Wharton
entered the room where she was sitting, and said:

"Agnes, there is a gentleman down stairs, who would like to engage you
to superintend the education of his children."

If Agnes had looked closely at her uncle's face, she would have observed
a very peculiar expression there; but only laying aside her work, she
said:

"Please say to him, uncle, that I will come down in one moment."

With a quiet step and an unpalpitating heart, Agnes opened the parlor
door, and found herself alone with--Mr. Harrington!

And here we will end our short chapter, though enough was said that
morning to make it a very long one, as it certainly was an eventful one
in the history of Agnes.

XXI

The Winding Up or the Turning Point, whichever the Reader likes Best.

"Still at thy father's board
There is kept a place for thee
And by thy smile restored,
Joy round the hearth shall be."--MRS. HEMANS.

"He will not blush that has a father's heart,
To take in childish plays a childish part,
But bends his sturdy back to any toy
That youth takes pleasure in, to please his boy."--Cowper

"What do you think, Calista?--what _do_ you think?" asked Miss Evelina
Fairland of her sister, about two years after she had asked these same
questions before. "There are masons, and carpenters, and painters, and
paperers, and gardeners, at work at the old Rookery; a perfect army of
laborers have been sent down from the city. What can it mean?"

"I cannot imagine, I am sure," answered Miss Calista, "unless Mr.
Harrington is really going to settle down, and look out for a wife at
last." And Miss Calista looked in the glass over her sister's shoulder,
and both faces looked more faded and considerably older than when we saw
them last.

"Do you know," said Miss Evelina, "that I really believe Agnes Elwyn
thought the man was in love with _her_?"

"Absurd!" exclaimed Miss Calista. "Besides, if he ever had entertained
such a thought, he would not, of course, think of anything of the kind
since that affair of her brother's. Such a disgrace, you know!"

The appearance of the old Rookery changed so rapidly, that it seemed
almost as if the fairies had been at work; and in a few weeks, glimpses
of a fair and elegant mansion, with its pretty piazzas and porticos,
could be seen between the noble oaks which surrounded the mans