ies remained to her; and without hesitation, or,
indeed, any thought about the matter, she was prepared to take upon
herself the management of her own affairs, and to change her
brother-in-law's position from that of guardian, resumed since her
widowhood, to that of adviser only. In the very depths of her misery she
had passed her twenty-first birthday, so that now she would have had in
any case the right of acting for herself. It was the very time to which,
not many months ago, Mr. Bellairs had looked forward with some anxiety,
and which he had thought so well provided for by her marriage; now, in
the utter change which had come both to her circumstances and feelings,
there was little reason why even the most careful guardian should feel
any reluctance to resign his office. But since her widowhood she had so
visibly shrunk from all mention of her property, and especially of that
part of it which had been the cause of her husband's dispute with his
murderer, that her friends naturally wondered now to hear her speak of
the management of those very lands in a way which showed that the
subject had actually occupied her thoughts.

"I promised Dr. Hardy," Mrs. Costello said, "that the care of providing
for the children should be mine. Indeed, I feel bound to do something. I
think until they are old enough to be of some use to their mother, it
would be well to give her a little allowance for their schooling and
clothes; but I shall be away. Will you manage this for me?"

It was so arranged. Mrs. Costello was to leave a certain sum in Mrs.
Morton's hands, to be paid monthly to Mrs. Clarkson for the benefit of
her children; and, this being settled, the little party had time to turn
their thoughts to subjects of more personal interest. They would not
meet again until the Costellos returned from Moose Island, which would
probably not be for a week at least. The messenger who had carried to
Mr. Strafford the news of Christian's death had returned, and brought a
letter which only confirmed Mrs. Costello's plans--she and Lucia were to
be, for as long a time as they could spare, the guests of their old
friend, and Christian was to be laid in the burial ground where so many
of his own people already slept.

At last the two sisters left the Cottage, and once more Mrs. Costello
and Lucia remained alone in the familiar room. How much seemed to have
happened since they were last alone here! and, through great suffering,
how much good se