One day Hester, the servant, came up from the basement, saying there
was a poor old man below, who asked for money.

"Send him away; I've nothing for him," said Mrs. Hamilton, whose
avaricious hand, larger far than her heart, grasped at and retained
everything.

"But, if you please, ma'am, he seems very poor," said Hester.

"Let him go to work, then. 'Twon't hurt him more than 'twill me," was
the reply.

Lenora, whose eyes and ears were always open, no sooner heard that
there was a beggar in the kitchen than she ran down to see him. He was
a miserable-looking object, and still there was something in his
appearance which denoted him to be above the common order of beggars.
His eyes were large and intensely black, and his hair, short, thick,
and curly, reminded Lenora of her own. The moment she appeared a
peculiar expression passed for a moment over his face, and he half
started up; then resuming his seat he fixed his glittering eyes upon
the young lady, and seemed watching her closely.

At last she began questioning him, but his answers were so
unsatisfactory that she gave it up, and, thinking it the easiest way
to be rid of him, she took from her pocket a shilling and handed it to
him, saying, "It's all I can give you, unless it is a dinner. Are you
hungry?"

Hester, who had returned to the kitchen, was busy in a distant part of