.
And service may help me to get rid of my own thoughts--that's another.
If you can find me a situation somewhere, you will be doing me a good
turn."

"Is it useless to suggest that you might come back, and live with me?"
Emily ventured to say.

Mrs. Ellmother's head sank on her breast. "Thank you kindly, miss; it
_is_ useless."

"Why is it useless?" Francine asked.

Mrs. Ellmother was silent.

"Miss de Sor is speaking to you," Emily reminded her.

"Am I to answer Miss de Sor?"

Attentively observing what passed, and placing her own construction on
looks and tones, it suddenly struck Francine that Emily herself might be
in Mrs. Ellmother's confidence, and that she might have reasons of her
own for assuming ignorance when awkward questions were asked. For the
moment at least, Francine decided on keeping her suspicions to herself.

"I may perhaps offer you the employment you want," she said to Mrs.
Ellmother. "I am staying at Brighton, for the present, with the lady who
was Miss Emily's schoolmistress, and I am in need of a maid. Would you
be willing to consider it, if I proposed to engage you?"

"Yes, miss."

"In that case, you can hardly object to the customary inquiry. Why did
you leave your last place?"

Mrs. Ellmother appealed to Emily. "Did you tell this young lady how long
I remained in my last place?"

Melancholy remembrances had been revived in Emily by the turn which the
talk had now taken. Francine's cat-like patience, stealthily feeling its
way to its end, jarred on her nerves. "Yes," she said; "in justice to
you, I have mentioned your long term of service."

Mrs. Ellmother addressed Francine. "You know, miss, that I served
my late mistress for over twenty-five years. Will you please remember
that--and let it be a reason for not asking me why I left my place."

Francine smiled compassionately. "My good creature, you have mentioned
the very reason why I _should_ ask. You live five-and-twenty years with
your mistress--and then suddenly leave her--and you expect me to pass
over this extraordinary proceeding without inquiry. Take a little time
to think."

"I want no time to think. What I had in my mind, when I left Miss
Letitia, is something which I refuse to explain, miss, to you, or to
anybody."

She recovered some of her old firmness, when she made that reply.
Francine saw the necessity of yielding--for the time at least, Emily
remained silent, oppressed by remembrance of the doubts and fe