"I wish you could make dresses, Mrs. Bond, you sew so neatly."

"I couldn't make one for you, ma'am," she said, "but I've often made morning dresses for the servants. I suppose Jessie Ward didn't think I was clever enough to make her new dress, for she's sent it to Miss Dale."

"A new dress! I didn't know she had one."

She bought it She told me she'd

"Oh, yes, she has; it's a very pretty cotton. on Wednesday, the day you sent her to me. had a present of some money that morning," added the woman, with a glance which told that she did not possess the "Charity that thinketh no evil."

"A present of money on Wednesday! How much?"

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Half-a-sovereign in gold. I was told so by some one who was in the draper's shop and saw her buy the dress, and put down the gold on the counter to pay for it."

By this time the nurse, with a flushed face, was allowing the thoughts of evil in her heart to decide that Jessie had indeed taken the lost half-sovereign.

"Did you know I lost some money on Wednesday?" she asked.

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Yes, Mrs. Gibbs, I heard of it in the village."

"And this young hussey said that money had been given to her! no doubt she took my half-sovereign, with all her cant about religion too. I'll have it out with her presently."

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Oh, pray don't, Mrs. Gibbs! or you'll get me into trouble! for I promised the person who told me, not to mention it, only I thought I might tell you; and, perhaps, after all, somebody did give her the money."

"Nonsense! who'd give her money? she shan't stay here! I won't have thieves about me!"

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But, Mrs. Gibbs," said the woman, who began to fear the consequences of her gossipping, "please listen to me, you can't send Jessie Ward away, till you've spoken to my lady. She's

coming home on Friday, isn't she? and then you can tell her."

Nurse did not reply. She knew her lady and Sir Edward well, and it would be as much as her place was worth to accuse the girl wrongfully to them. She knew how Jessie's parents were respected in the village, and she at last promised the woman to be silent for the present.

"Don't tell any one that you've told me," she said; "there will be some more needle-work for you when my lady comes home, so you can come up on Saturday, and then you shall hear all about it."

Mrs. Bond left the house, conscious that by repeating what Sarah Mills had told her she had fixed the nurse's suspicions on Jessie, but without one regret for the mischief her idle, gossipping tongue was likely to cause.

Before Lady Evelyn's return, the story of the half-sovereign, like a rolling snowball, had gathered size and weight in the village.

The nurse at the Hall had lost a half-sovereign, Jessie Ward had stolen it to buy a dress, and the servants were only waiting the return of my lady to accuse Jessie to her.

Hitherto, John Ward and his wife had heard nothing of the painful scandal raised against their child. While pursuing the steady path of truth and honesty, such a report would have seemed impossible to them. Poor Ward was to hear of it at last, under painful circumstances.

"You are staying overtime, Ward," said his master, on the Thursday evening as he passed the mill and saw the sails still moving. This picturesque object stood on high ground, not far from the village, crowning the heights above the railway and the park.

"I'm going presently, sir," said Ward, as he stopped the sails. But he had to prepare a sack of flour, which was to be sent for that evening, and he staid in the mill to fill and fasten it up.

He had nearly completed his task, when he heard footsteps. approaching, and his master's voice speaking to some one— "There goes the carriage to the Hall, Johnson."

"Yes, sir, and I be come for the flour; 'tain't wanted till to-morrow, but I were a passing, and I thought I'd take it wi' me."

Ward was about to open the door of the mill, but the man's next words stopped him.

"I expect there'll be a shindy up at the Hall, to-morrow, Measter Miller! they've only been a waiting for Sir Edward and my lady to come home."

"What's it all about, Johnson ?"

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Oh, there's been some money stole, and they do say it's your man's daughter, Jessie Ward, that's took it, but I doan't believe it."

"Believe it! I shouldn't think you would. trust the Wards with all the gold in the bank!"

Why! I'd

"And I believe you're right, measter; but that's what they're a saying in the village."

"Let them talk," said the miller; "don't wait, Johnson; Ward's gone home. I'll send the sack up first thing to-morrow. I'm glad he is gone," said the good miller to himself, as he turned into his house-he knew nothing of the stricken heart in the mill, that had heard all.

The

With his head bowed down, and his usual desponding look deepened, John Ward turned his steps homeward. children were present at tea, and he could not, before them, open his heart to his wife or tell her what he had heard; but she saw that some hidden thoughts disturbed him, and got the children to bed quickly. She glanced at him now and then, as he sat smoking his pipe in the garden, and remembering that he had eaten nothing at tea, she prepared a nice little supper. Then in a cheerful voice she called out—

"Come in, John, and have some supper, the children are all in bed."

John rose and slowly followed his wife to the neat sitting room, which looked bright in the red sunset, still glimmering in the west. John threw himself into his arm-chair and sighed deeply.

"Why, John! what's the matter?" and then the bright face suddenly clouded. "You ain't lost your place, John, have you ?"

"No, no, lass! but it's almost as bad, there's been money stolen at the Hall, and they say our Jessie has taken it.”

"John!" and the mother's face became crimson with surprise and horror; then, as it faded to paleness, her blue eyes flashed, and a smile of derision played round her mouth. "Jessie take money! Jessie a thief! John, are you beside yourself to listen to such stories ?"

"You don't suppose I suspect my girl, do you?" he replied, "but others will. And how's she to prove she didn't take it?" 'Sir Edward and my Lady will never suspect Jessie."

“Ah, wife, you don't know the world! Jessie's a stranger, and the servants have been in my lady's service for years, they'll easily clear themselves, and what will they care for my girl's sorrow?"

Polly was taken aback, and she sat for a time thinking in silence; but after making John take something to eat, her trust and confidence returned, and she spoke cheerfully.

"John, we must leave poor Jessie in God's hands; He will never let my girl suffer unjustly."

"People do suffer unjustly sometimes, Polly."

"I know that," she replied; "and perhaps God will let it be so now for a little while: we've always been proud of our honesty and respectable conduct, and this is to make us humble, no doubt."

"It humbles me so, that I shan't dare look anybody in the face, I know that," he replied.

"Don't fear, John, it will all come right at last; if we trust

and pray for poor Jessie, and wait patiently till my lady comes

home."

"She is home, the carriage drove round the road yesterday, that's how I heard about this robbery."

And then John Ward told his wife how he had been shut in the mill, and heard one of the Hall farm labourers talking to his master about it.

"And did the miller believe it?" asked Polly.

"Well, no; and he said he could ha' trusted us and our children with all the money, in the bank."

"There, now, John! and Sir Edward has known us longer than the miller; or, at least, he has known you. Wasn't your father gardener at the hall when Sir Edward was born? Oh, John! don't let us fear! God will take care of our Jessie."

John went to bed that night with a lighter heart; but in the morning he wanted to go up to the Hall, and learn the truth about Jessie.

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No, no, John, wait a bit, you will be sent for, I'm sure, and if you're not home, I'll go; you may depend upon it, my lady will never condemn poor Jessie, till she's made enquiries. and found out every thing."