rly
when the fault has not been ours--we have always lived within your
father's income, even though his practice has been falling off in these
bad times, what with his getting up in years, and what with these young
doctors trying to get in their hands everywhere. He tells me that he has
never had to find fault with me for extravagance," she finished
wistfully.

"I should think not," said Annie emphatically. "Why you have always been
as simple as simple could be in your own tastes and habits, not a woman
in your circle dresses more quietly. You have hardly even driven in the
brougham when father was not wanting it, in case you should over-work
the horse--you have always said, but I really believe that you chose to
walk for the simple reason that many of your acquaintances had no
choice. Nobody can ever reflect upon you, mother, for having wasted
either father's means or other people's," said Annie, with a bright
glance which became her infinitely.

"Thank you, my love, for saying so," replied her mother gratefully; "and
you see it is as well that I did not accustom myself to driving, among
other indulgences, for another of the retrenchments which your father
mentioned was putting down the brougham. Yet how he is to manage his
more distant patients on foot, at his age, I cannot imagine," she broke
off in helpless distress, clasping her hands tightly together, according
to a way she had. "It seems downright madness to propose it."

"Then you may be sure it will be prevented," said Dora with earnest
trustfulness, as she gently patted her mother's cap. "Nobody can ask a
sacrifice from him which he is unable to make. Mother, do you know what
I was thinking? that the only occasions on which you and father were
regardless of expense have been where the profit or pleasure of us girls
was concerned. You have given us every advantage you could get for us in
the shape of education. You sent Annie and me to London to take these
costly music-lessons;--Annie, I wish we had made more of them. You
arranged that we should go on that foreign tour with the Ludlows."

"We did our best for you--your father and I. I think I may say that,"
admitted Mrs. Millar simply.

Dora went on eagerly with her generous catalogue. "There was the young
artist who exhibits at the Academy and the Grosvenor, who was sketching
at Nenthorn, you had him over at a high price once a week, and he
condescended to help Rose with her drawing and painting. Then the