Thus happy, because usefully employed, and thus beloved and respected, because actively benevolent, passed the early years of Adeline Mowbray; and thus was she educated, before her mother had completed her system of education. It was not long before Adeline took on herself a still more important office. Mrs Mowbray's steward was detected in very dishonest practices; but, as she was too much devoted to her studies to like to look into her affairs with a view to dismiss him, she could not be prevailed on to discharge him from her service. Fortunately, however, her father on his death-bed made it his request that she would do so; and Mrs Mowbray pledged herself to obey him. 'But what shall I do for a steward in Davison's place?' said she soon after her father died. 'Is one absolutely necessary?' returned Adeline modestly. 'Surely farmer Jenkins would undertake to do all that is necessary for half the money; and, if he were properly overlooked--' 'And pray who can overlook him properly?' asked Mrs Mowbray. 'My grandmother and I,' replied Adeline timidly: 'we both like business and--' 'Like business!--but what do you know of it?' 'Know!' cried Mrs Woodville, 'why, daughter, Lina is very clever at it, I assure you!' 'Astonishing! She knows nothing yet of accounts.' 'Dear me! how mistaken you are, child! She knows accounts perfectly well.' 'Impossible!' replied Mrs Mowbray: 'who should have taught her? I have been inventing an easy method of learning arithmetic, by which I was going to teach her in a few months.' 'Yes, child: but I, thinking it a pity that the poor girl should learn nothing, like, till she was to learn every thing, taught her according to the old way; and I cannot but say she took to it very kindly. Did not you, Lina?' 'Yes, grandmother,' said Adeline; 'and as I love arithmetic very much, I am quite anxious to keep all my mother's accounts, and overlook the accounts of the person whom she shall employ to manage her estates in future.' To this Mrs Mowbray, half pleased and half mortified, at length consented; and Adeline and farmer Jenkins entered upon their occupations. Shortly after Mrs Woodville was seized with her last illness; and Adeline neglected every other duty, and Mrs Mowbray her studies, 'to watch, and weep, beside a parent's bed.' But watch and weep was all that Mrs Mowbray did: with every possible wish to be useful, she had so long given way to habits of abstraction, and neglect of everyday occupations, that she was rather a hindrance than a help in the sick room.