say to her pastor;" but I did not let him go on, for I was too
excited with our errand.

"Why does Miss Lucas want to see me?" I asked, with a little beating
of the heart. The Lucas family were the richest people in Milnthorpe.

Mr. Lucas was the banker, and kept his carriage, and had a pretty
cottage somewhere by the seaside; they were Uncle Geoffrey's
patients, I knew, but what had that to do with poor little me?

"Miss Lucas wants to find some one to teach her little niece,"
returned Uncle Geoffrey; and then I remembered all at once that
Mr. Lucas was a widower with one little girl. He had lost his wife
about a year ago, and his sister had come to live with him and take
care of his motherless child. What a chance this would have been for
Carrie! but now it was too late. I was half afraid as we came up to
the great red brick house, it was so grand and imposing, and so was
the solemn-looking butler who opened the door and ushered us into
the drawing-room.

As we crossed the hall some one came suddenly out on us from a dark
lobby, and paused when he saw us. "Dr. Cameron! This is your niece, I
suppose, whom my sister Ruth is expecting?" and as he shook hands
with us he looked at me a little keenly, I thought. He was younger
than I expected; it flashed across me suddenly that I had once seen
his poor wife. I was standing looking out of the window one cold
winter's day, when a carriage drove up to the door with a lady
wrapped in furs. I remember Uncle Geoffrey went out to speak to her,
and what a smile came over her face when she saw him. She was very
pale, but very beautiful; every one said so in Milnthorpe, for she