enjoying happy walks with her brother, pursued her light and easy studies
with Mademoiselle de Barras, and devoted her leisure hours to the loved
society of her mother.

One day Mrs. Marston, sitting in her room with Rhoda, had happened to
call her own maid, to take down and carefully dust some richly bound
volumes which filled a bookcase in the little chamber.

"You have been crying, Willett," said Mrs. Marston, observing that the
young woman's eyes were red and swollen.

"Indeed, and I was, ma'am," she replied, reluctantly, "and I could not
help it, so I could not."

"Why, what has happened to vex you? Has anyone ill-treated you?" said
Mrs. Marston, who had an esteem for the poor girl. "Come, come, you must
not fret about it; only tell me what has vexed you."

"Oh! Ma'am, no one has ill-used me, ma'am; but I can't but be vexed
sometimes, ma'am, and fretted to see how things is going on. I have
one wish, just one wish, ma'am, and if I got that, I'd ask no more,"
said the girl.

"And what is it?" asked Mrs. Marston; "what do you wish for? Speak
plainly, Willett; what is it?"

"Ah! Ma'am, if I said it, maybe you might not be pleased. Don't ask me,
ma'am," said the girl dusting the books very hard, and tossing them down
again with angry emphasis. "I don't desire anybody's harm, God knows;
but, for all that, I wish what I wish, and that is the truth."