The next Tuesday, some of the lessons were learned, Una's perfectly,
the big ignorant boy came no more; and some of the children had
learned to behave better, while others behaved worse; Ethel began to
know what she was about; Richard's gentleness was eminently
successful with the little girls, impressing good manners on them in
a marvellous way; and Mary's importance and happiness with alphabet
scholars, some bigger than herself, were edifying. Cocksmoor was
fairly launched.

The next memorable day was that of Margaret's being first carried
downstairs. She had been willing to put it off as long as she could,
dreading to witness the change below-stairs, and feeling, too, that
in entering on the family room, without power of leaving it, she was
losing all quiet and solitude, as well as giving up that monopoly of
her father in his evenings, which had been her great privilege.

However, she tried to talk herself into liking it; and was rewarded
by the happy commotion it caused, though Dr. May was in a state of
excitement and nervousness at the prospect of seeing her on the
stairs, and his attempts to conceal it only made it worse, till
Margaret knew she should be nervous herself, and wished him out of
sight and out of the house till it was over, for without him she had
full confidence in the coolness and steadiness of Richard, and by him
it was safely and quietly accomplished. She was landed on the sofa,
Richard and Flora settling her, and the others crowding round and
exclaiming, while the newness of the scene and the change gave her a
sense of confusion, and she shut her eyes to recover her thoughts,
but opened them the next instant at her father's exclamation that she
was overcome, smiled to reassure him, and declared herself not tired,
and to be very glad to be among them again. But the bustle was