comfortably down in the arm-chair Mrs. Best placed for her, while she
herself sat down in another, disposing themselves for a talk over the
fire.

"Mr. Bell reckons it at about 600 pounds a year."

"And an estate?"

"A very pretty cottage in a Devonshire valley, with the furniture and
three acres of land."

"Oh! I believe the girls fancy that it is at least as large as Lord
Coldhurst's."

"Yes, I was in hopes that they would have heard nothing about it."

"It came through some of their schoolfellows; one cannot help things
getting into the air."

"And there getting inflated like bubbles," said Miss Prescott,
smiling. "Well, their expectations will have a fall, poor dears!"

"And it does not come from their side of the family," said Mrs. Best.
"Of course not! And it was wholly unexpected, was it not?"

"Yes, I had my name of Magdalen from my great aunt Tremlett; but she
had never really forgiven my mother's marriage, though she consented
to be my godmother. She offered to adopt me on my mother's death,
and once when my father married again, and when we lost him, she
wrote to propose my coming to live with her; but there would have