ould stand!'

'Can you imagine the life of Cousin Helen's companion?'

And so on, until throwing back her little head importantly, Elfie was
able to protest.

'I know you won't approve of it, but I have decided that I shall go,
and you must look at the advantages and make the best of it if you want
to help me.'

'You shall never go with my consent,' said Agatha, roused from her
usual placidity.

'Then,' said Elfie, laughing, 'I shall go without it, or rather, I
shall never rest till I have coaxed a consent out of you. Think of
living in the dear old place we all love so well, in the lap of luxury,
with nothing to do but dress well, and eat well, and order the dinners,
and see that the servants do their work properly! And hasn't it just
come at the right time, when my future was so unsettled? Now if Clare
succeeds in her plan we shall be all provided for, and life will go
smoothly again. And we must comfort ourselves with the thought that we
are only paying visits away from home, and perhaps next Christmas we
may get together again!'

She rattled on, and then ran out of the room to hide the little choke
in her throat, and her sisters looked at each other in bewilderment.

'I never could have thought Elfie would have entertained the idea for a
minute,' said Agatha; 'she cannot have the same feelings we have about
Cousin James if she can so calmly accept his offer. But she was away
in Germany, I remember, when it all happened. I suppose it is rather
attractive to her than otherwise. She does not know Cousin Helen as we
do.'

'She has no proper pride,' said Gwen, with flashing eyes; and then she
pulled herself up.

'Well, I have driven her to it. That will be consolation to me!'

'She talks very lightly of leaving home,' said Clare. 'I wish I had
her happy way of looking at things. Nothing seems to trouble her.'

It needed a great deal of coaxing and persuasion to bring her sisters
round to her way of thinking; but Elfie was allowed at last to send off
her letter accepting her cousin's offer, and none of them ever knew how
much it cost her to do it.

Her sunny temper and light-hearted mirth often hid a good deal of
feeling; but, like many others with such a disposition, she never got
the credit of taking life seriously.

'She is such a child,' Agatha would say; 'she will be happy in any
circumstances. I am thankful she does not feel things deeply.'

And so none but One above knew the scalding te