rtha's account. If adding to your
expenses in every way makes a good patient, she was excellent,
certainly. I'll leave you the bills to console you; but, if you value
your peace of mind, don't dare to worry _me_ about them. You were quite
right when you said I was too young to be troubled about money matters,
and I shall not let myself be troubled--especially when they are
matters, like these bills, for which I am not responsible." She was
leaving the room as she spoke, but stopped at the door: "And, Dan," she
added, quoting his favourite phrase, "I'd be cheery if I were you.
There's nothing like being cheery. Why, look at me! I never let anything
worry me!"

She left Dan speechless, and went to her secret chamber, where she sat
and suffered for an hour, blaming herself for her lightness, her
contrariness, her want of dignity, and all those faults which were the
direct consequence of Dan's evil influence. She was falling farther
and farther away from her ideal in everything, and knew it, but seemed
to have lost the power to save herself. The degeneration had begun in
small matters of discipline, apparently unimportant, but each one of
consequence, in reality, as part of her system of self-control. From
the moment we do a thing thinking it to be wrong, we degenerate. If it
be a principle that we abandon, it does not matter what the principle
is, our whole moral fibre is loosened by the gap it makes. Beth, who
had hitherto shunned easy-chairs, as Aunt Victoria had taught her,
lest she should be enervated by lolling, now began to take to them,
and so lost the strengthening effect of a wholesome effort. Other
little observances, too, little regular habits which discipline mind
and body to such good purpose, slipped from her,--such as the care of
her skin after the manner of the ladies of her family, who had been
renowned for their wonderful complexions. This had been enjoined upon
her by her mother in her early girlhood as a solemn duty, and had
entailed much self-denial in matters of food and drink, quantities
being restricted, and certain things prohibited at certain times,
while others were forbidden altogether. She had had to exercise
patience, also, in the concoction and use of delicately perfumed
washes of tonic and emollient properties, home distilled, so as to be
perfectly pure; all of which had been strictly practised by her, like
sacred rites or superstitious observances upon the exact performance
of which good f