Nearly two years passed away, during which, with the exception of
Sundays and holidays, every recurring morning brought me the grateful
though momentary vision of one or both of the charming sisters. Then
came an additional pleasure--I met them both together every day. The
younger had commenced practising the same delicate and ingenious craft
of embroidery, and the two pursued their industry in company under the
same employer. It was amusing to mark the demure assumption of
womanhood darkening the brows of the aërial little sprite, as, with
all the new-born consequence of responsibility, she walked soberly by
her sister's side, frame in hand, and occasionally revealed to
passers-by a brief glimpse of her many-coloured handiwork. They were
the very picture of beauty and happiness, and happy beyond question
must their innocent lives have been for many pleasant months. But soon
the shadows of care began to steal over their hitherto joyous faces,
and traces of anxiety, perhaps of tears, to be too plainly visible on
their paling cheeks. All at once I missed them in my morning's walk,
and for several days--it might be weeks--saw nothing of them. I was at
length startled from my forgetfulness of their very existence by the
sudden apparition of both one Monday morning clad in the deepest
mourning. I saw the truth at once: the mother, who, I had remarked,
was prematurely old and feeble, was gone, and the two orphan children
were left to battle it with the world. My conjecture was the truth, as
a neighbour of whom I made some inquiries on the subject was not slow
to inform me. '_Ah,_ sir,' said the good woman, 'poor Mrs D---- have
had a hard time of it, and she born an' bred a gentlewoman.'

I asked her if the daughters were provided for.

'Indeed, sir,' continued my informant, 'I'm afeard not. 'Twas the most