cket and coming
up the garden walk, with a smile upon her pleasant face as she met their
gaze.

'My boys,' she said, in a soft, kindly voice, 'I've been sitting on the
bank yonder, behind your cottage; and I heard one of you reading a
chapter in the Bible. Which of you was it?'

'It was him,' cried Tim and Martha together, pointing at Stephen.

'And you said you had no one to teach you,' continued the lady. 'Now
would you learn well, if I promised to teach you?'

Stephen looked up speechlessly into the smiling face before him. He had
never read of the angels, and scarcely knew that there were such beings;
but he felt as if this fair and sweet-looking lady, with her gentle
voice, and the kindly eyes meeting his own, was altogether of a different
order to themselves.

'I am Mr. Wyley's niece,' she added, 'and I am come to live at Botfield
for a while. Could you manage to come down to Mr. Wyley's house sometimes
for a lesson?'

'Please, ma'am,' said Martha, who was not at all afraid of speaking to
any lady, though she dare not face the master, 'he wants to turn us out
of our house; and he hates Stephen, because he won't give it up: so he
wouldn't let you teach him anything.'

'Then you are Stephen Fern?' said the lady; 'I heard my uncle talking
about you. Your father was buried at Longville church on Sunday. I saw
the funeral leave the churchyard, and I looked for some of you to come in
to the evening service. Now, Stephen, do you tell me all about your
reason for not letting my uncle buy your cottage.'

Then Stephen, with some hesitation, and a good deal of assistance from
Martha, told the whole history of his grandmother's settlement upon the
solitary hillside, only withholding the fact of his grandfather's
transportation, because Tim was listening eagerly to every word. Miss
Anne listened, too, with deep attention; and once or twice the tears rose
to her eyes as she heard of the weary labours and watchings of the
desolate woman; and when Stephen repeated his resolution to work hard
and constantly for the maintenance of his grandfather and little Nan--

'Yes, I will be your friend,' she said, reaching out her hand to him when
he had finished, 'even if my uncle is your enemy. God has not given me
much power, but what I have I will use for you; and you must go on
striving to do right, Stephen.'

'I can't read much,' replied Stephen anxiously, 'and Martha can't read at
all; but I hope we shall all get safe to he