o with the
patients who pay you, Mrs. Thatcher?' asked Milly.

'I've taken pains with him,' answered the woman, with a scowl. 'I
took to him kindly enough when he was a little fellow; but he's
grown up to be nothing but a plague and a burden to me.'

The boy left off grinning, and his poor weak chin sank lower on his
narrow chest. His attitude had been a stooping one from the first;
but he drooped visibly under the old woman's reproof.

'Can he employ himself in no way?'

'No, miss; except in picking the herbs and roots for me sometimes.
He can do that, and he knows one from t'other.'

'He's of some use to you, at any rate, then,' said Milly.

'Little enough,' the old woman answered sulkily. 'I don't want help;
I've plenty of time to gather them myself. But I've taught him to
pick them, and it's the only thing he ever could learn.'

'Poor fellow! He's your only grandchild, isn't he, Mrs. Thatcher?'

'Yes, he's the only one, miss, and he'd need be. I don't know how I
should keep another. You can't remember my daughter Ruth? She was as
pretty a girl as you'd care to see. She was housemaid at Cumber
priory in Mrs. Egerton's time, and she married the butler. They set
up in business in a little public-house in Thornleigh village, and
he took to drinking, till everything went to rack and ruin. My poor
girl took the trouble to heart more than her husband did, a great
deal; and I believe it was the trouble that killed her. She died
three weeks after that boy was born, and her husband ran away the
day after the funeral, and has never been heard of since. Some say
he drowned himself in the Clem; but he was a precious deal too fond
of himself for that. He was up to his eyes in debt, and didn't leave
a sixpence behind him; that's how Peter came to be thrown on my
hands.'

'Come here, Peter,' said Milly softly; and the boy went to her
directly, and took the hand she offered him.

'You've not forgotten me, have you, Peter? Miss Darrell, who used to
talk to you sometimes a long time ago.'

The boy's vacant face brightened into something like intelligence.

'I know you, miss,' he said; 'you was always kind to Peter. It's not
many that I know; but I know you.'

She took out her purse and gave him half-a-crown.

'There, Peter, there's a big piece of silver for your own self, to
buy whatever you like--sugar-sticks, gingerbread, marbles--anything.'

His clumsy hand closed upon the coin, and I have no doubt he was
pleased