intelligence with irritating composure. But when, that afternoon, the
little sick child was brought in, and the grandmother--who, after all,
loved it well--began a fresh moan over her losses to its unconscious
ears--saying how she had planned to consult this or that doctor, and
to give it this or that comfort or luxury in after years, but that now
all chance of this had passed away--Alice's heart was touched, and she
drew near to Mrs Wilson with unwonted caresses, and, in a spirit not
unlike to that of Ruth, entreated that, come what would, they might
remain together. After much discussion in succeeding days, it was
arranged that Mrs Wilson should take a house in Manchester, furnishing
it partly with what furniture she had, and providing the rest with
Alice's remaining two hundred pounds. Mrs Wilson was herself a
Manchester woman, and naturally longed to return to her native town;
some connexions of her own, too, at that time required lodgings, for
which they were willing to pay pretty handsomely. Alice undertook
the active superintendence and superior work of the household;
Norah--willing, faithful Norah--offered to cook, scour, do anything in
short, so that she might but remain with them.

The plan succeeded. For some years their first lodgers remained with
them, and all went smoothly--with that one sad exception of the little
girl's increasing deformity. How that mother loved that child, it is
not for words to tell!

Then came a break of misfortune. Their lodgers left, and no one
succeeded to them. After some months, it became necessary to remove
to a smaller house; and Alice's tender conscience was torn by the idea
that she ought not to be a burden to her mother-in-law, but to go out
and seek her own maintenance. And leave her child! The thought came
like the sweeping boom of a funeral-bell over her heart.