"Why did you?" at last said Susan, recovering from her surprise. "You will have to alter it; for I'm not going to sweep streets or carpets to please anybody. Besides, I wish to have it exactly as mother told you."

"Oh, nonsense, you'll like it well enough when you get among them that have the same."

"Milly's dresses never sweep," said Susan; " she says trains are for drawing-rooms and carriages, and look pretty enough; but for people who bustle about a house, and walk in streets or roads, they're a nuisance outright. So I'll put it on before you to-morrow, and I'll have it just as mother thinks right," concluded Susan, positively.

"Dear me, I thought to please you," said Miss Lydia ; "but I shall know better another time."

Susan hoped so, and was going; but Mrs. Brooks stopped her.

"My dear," said she, kindly, "I like to hear you speak that way, though of course poor Liddy thought you were like other young people she works for; so no offence, I hope. But could you tell me of any teetotal people? Perhaps your good mother may know some of them.”.

"My father and brother are both total abstainers," said Susan.

“Oh, dear me, how glad I am! Would you ask one of them just to call in here, for I've got a lodger very ill, and he won't touch anything the doctor orders, except just the medicine; but the brandy, and wine, and things he won't even look at, and begged me not to bring anything of the sort into his room. I've always heard tell that when doctors order things it's lawful for those temperance people to take them, and this poor man says he has taken the pledge."

"I will tell my father what you say, and I am sure he will come if he can do any good," said Susan, as she tripped away.

In a few minutes Mrs. Brooks returned hastily to the parlour, leading a little boy of four or five years old by the hand.

Here, Lydia," said she, hurriedly, "just let Dicky stop here a bit; Sally's gone an errand, and the doctor's come." "Oh dear, mother; I really can't have him here, he does knock everything about so."

But Mrs. Brooks was gone, prudently shutting the door upon the objection.

'Dick, don't touch that, sir! sit down, and be quiet, do," cried Lydia, in great disgust, at hands none of the cleanest being laid upon one of her pink paper patterns; and she seized Master Dick, and bumped him roughly upon a chair, away from the possibility of touching anything.

Dick sat for a few moments looking defiance, and then slid down, crept under the table among the pins, and buttons, and beads, and presently gleaned a fine handful of the same, with a skein of silk and a reel or two of cotton, all of which went into his small pockets.

The silence was ominous; and, instead of encouraging the child to be useful in collecting and classifying her stray goods, Miss Brooks was certain he was in mischief, and hauled him out by the legs, with a slap for moving from the seat whereon she had placed him.

This was, of course, the signal for a violent yelling, and screaming, and kicking, and a hand-to-hand fight; poor Miss Lydia very red and angry, and talking as many exasperated sisters do talk on such occasions.

"You nasty little plague, I'll master you now, so I will. I hate children, I do; I can't think what you're good for, always in everybody's way. There, you wicked boy; how dare you, sir!" and so on, while Dick, between his kicks and struggles, was paying the same compliment in return, wonder

ing in a great rage whatever sisters were made for, and hating the whole race, and Lydia in particular, with a most vigorous and active hatred.

In the midst of the strife Mrs. Brooks rushed in.

"Lydia! Dick! What a noise! Aren't you ashamed of yourselves? Couldn't you keep quiet for a minute ?

"You shouldn't have brought him," pertly exclaimed Lydia, "you know I can't do my work where he is."

"Bother the work," said the mother, smoothing Dicky's ruffled curls; "everything has to give way to it, till I'm sick of the sight of it: it's no good to anybody that I can see;" and she led away the young urchin, who turned with a parting salutation to his sister in as ugly a grimace as he could manage to form out of bright blue eyes, a rosy mouth, and cheeks like fresh peaches.

So, where love, and patience, and gentleness might have won obedience and affection, the opportunity passed away in a declaration of war between the rival factions, and the indignant grief of an unwise mother.

Lydia's defence of herself and her work was provoked into a very high key before banging the door, to shut out all her enemies together, which expressive sound had just rung through the house, startling the sick lodger, when the streetdoor opened, no one in the confusion having heard two or three modest knocks, and Robert Taylor stood before the ruffled mistress and her pouting pet.

"I beg your pardon, Mrs. Brooks," said he, taking off his cap respectfully, "I am sent by Mr. Dixon to inquire after a person who has been working a little for him from Carter and Davis's shop, and who he heard is lodging here."

"Yes, I dare say it's all right; you mean Mr. Matthew. He's been too poorly to go to work these three days, and he won't do anything to get up his strength. Why, sir, he has

actually walked to B and back, ten miles in all, after his day's work, inquiring, he said, for a letter he expected: so he's just knocked himself up, and the doctor says he wants strengthening. I shall be so glad if you'll speak to him and get him to take proper things to do it, Mr. Robert."

“I shall be glad to do my best, Mrs. Brooks," said Robert: "he has interested our master very much, and is one of the cleverest workmen he ever had sent to the office. The man they have sent in his place is nothing to him for intelligence and skill."

While Robert followed the mother, the daughter stood listening inside the door she had so rudely shut, fluttering with curiosity and red with vexation lest Robert should have witnessed anything of the unseemly strife in which she had been engaged. She had gained sufficient knowledge of his family to be aware that some principle unknown to her ruled in their house, and influenced their conduct, and that if she chose to value the admiration with which she saw the young man regarded her, she must take care what kind of character she exhibited in his presence.

She therefore decided to be quite sure of her power before venturing to presume upon it, and to complete her conquest before she should make up her mind whether or not to return his regard. She should not object to be attended, for a time at least, by so good-looking and respectable a suitor, and she had no doubt of the envy of half the "young ladies" of her acquaintance.

But Robert left the house that day without even inquiring for her.

77

CHAPTER XIII.

THE LAMP LIGHTED.

T's very kind of him to think about me," said Matthew Hill, as Robert Taylor sat by his bedside, and told him how Mr. Dixon, to whose office he had been sent to execute some delicate piece of work for them there, had felt interested in him, admired his skill, missed him, inquired about him, and hearing that he was ill, had commissioned Robert to find out his residence and attend to his condition. "It is like himself and everything he does," said Robert, warmly; it is a pleasure to work for such a master."

66 'Well, there isn't much the matter with me. I shall soon be right again; but I suppose I did a bit too much, not being over strong since I had rheumatic fever. And these good people, with the doctor at the head of them, want to poison me."

"Now, my friend," began Mrs. Brooks, "you just tell me this. Does your oath bind you never to taste anything that the doctor orders to strengthen and nourish you when you are sick? Because, if it does, it's little short of murder, I say, that's all." And the kind woman looked extremely indignant. "We take no oath," said Robert, gently.

"No oath! Why, what is it, then? I thought you vowed before God to touch no strong drink."

"Then you are misinformed," answered Robert. “It is a promise to each other and our fellow-men, and a precaution for ourselves under temptation, and it is a disgrace to a man of feeling and honour to break his word: he proves