lucky day for us when we
first fell in with little Ella Brand.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN.

A MIRAGE.

By the time that our fair guest had been on board a week or ten days,
she had put me in possession of probably every circumstance of
importance which had occurred in her past history, and had also touched
lightly upon her future, which, notwithstanding the natural buoyancy of
her temperament, she seemed to regard with considerable apprehension.

It appeared that, in the first place, she had but a very imperfect idea
as to the whereabouts of her relatives in England. She knew that her
grandfather had a place somewhere down in Leicestershire, and she
thought he also had a house in town; but, as her mother had never heard
from him since her marriage, Ella had been utterly unable to find any
clue to the old gentleman's address, after a most thorough search
through such papers belonging to her parents as had fallen into her
hands after her father's death.

Then, bearing in mind many conversations between her parents which had
occurred in her presence, she felt the gravest doubt as to whether any
of her relatives, when found, would even condescend so far as to
acknowledge her as a relative, much less assist her in any way. She
inclined to the opinion that they would not, and there were many
circumstances to justify this sentiment, notably one which had occurred
a short time previous to the departure of her parents from England.

Her father was at the time suffering from nervous debility and severe
mental depression, the result of over-work and incessant anxiety; and to
such a deplorable condition was he reduced that, for a considerable
time, he was completely incapacitated for work of any kind.

The family resources dwindled to a low ebb, the process being materially
hastened by heavy doctors' bills and other expenses connected with Mr
Brand's condition, and the wife and mother found herself almost at her
wit's-end to provide necessaries for her husband and child, utterly
forgetful of herself all the time. At last, in sheer desperation, she
wrote to her father describing her position, and entreating that
assistance which he could so bountifully bestow--and her letter remained
unanswered. She then wrote to her mother, and this time the letter was
returned unopened.

She then tried her two brothers in succession, and finally her sister,
and all her attempts to communicate with these unnatural relatives were
treated w