rolling up her eyes, laughing, and tossing from out her wardrobe a soiled cap, decked with bows and flowers; "tell Ferris she's welcome to it." She was evidently pleased with her own generosity, as well as amused at her woman's enterprising vanity. "Well, we seem to be agreed," she said to Mrs. Lee; "let your child come on Monday."
"There is one favour I would ask before concluding, ma'am — can my child have a room or a bed to herself?"
"Oh, no — there is no one, I believe, more indulgent than I am to my people — but this is a stretch a little beyond me — pray, does miss have a room to herself at home?"
"No, ma'am, I have but one room for my husband, myself, and my four children."
"I beg your pardon, ma'am!" said Mrs. Ardley, almost involuntarily. There was a gentle dignity in Mrs. Lee's manner, that made her feel for a moment, in spite of their apparent relative stations, as if she were in the presence of a superior. "Sophy," she said, turning to her maid, "you know better than I — can you make up a separate bed for this little girl?"
"No, ma'am — not a comfortable one — there is not a mattress, nor even a blanket out of use."
"Why, Sophy, you make us out rather poverty-stricken."
"Oh, no, Mrs. Ardley! you know I did not mean that — there's piles of bedding in the trunk-room — it's only the servants' that is scanty!"
"Oh, ho! then we are not quite paupers yet?"
"Mrs. Ardley!"
"You see how it is," resumed Mrs. Ardley to
