Aunt Rebecca took the letter, opened it and began to read. “Mercy upon us!” she murmured, turning over the sheet to see the signature. Then she went back to the beginning and read steadily on to the end. Beth thought that she had never seen Aunt Rebecca look so excited as she did when she let the letter fall into her lap at last, and sat staring at the little girl. “Well?” hinted Miss Tappan impatiently, eager to be let into the mystery. “It’s from Beth’s mother’s brother,” said Aunt Rebecca. “Isn’t that an uncle?” cried Beth instantly sharing Aunt Rebecca’s excitement. “Well?” repeated Miss Tappan. “He is James Cortlandt; he is worth millions,” Aunt Rebecca went on, ignoring Beth. “He has a family of three children, two girls and a boy. This letter is from him and his wife. They want I should let Beth go on to them to spend the winter. They say they want to know their sister Nannie’s child and want her cousins to know her. I don’t know what to think, Lydia. Of course they have everything heart could wish, but I don’t know them, and I don’t want Beth to be spoiled. It’s the thin edge of the wedge, Lydia.” “You couldn’t spoil Beth so easy,” said Miss Tappan. Neither woman seemed to remember that the small person they were discussing was waiting, wide-eyed and marveling, for what should come next. “They make a good deal of Beth here, in school, everywhere, and she’s always the same sensible, steady, old-fashioned little soul. She’d take the splendor just as she takes everything, with a pleasant, obliging smile, and be happy in it, just as she’s happy when folks here are good to her. I guess I’d risk it. Besides, you don’t seem to me to have the right to keep her from getting acquainted with her mother’s folks, if they want her. It will be a great advantage to her to see the world.” “H’m! That’s as it may be,” said Aunt Rebecca. “There’s some sides of the world better unseen.” “The world’s round, Rebecca; it hasn’t any sides. To fit it you’ve got to be sort of rounded yourself. I always felt it was a pity we stayed so close right here all our lives. How’ll you get Beth there?” asked Miss Tappan. She knew Aunt Rebecca well enough to see that she had decided that Beth was to go. “They’ll send a maid on here to fetch her, if I say she may go,” said Aunt Rebecca. “Do you understand what’s happened, child?” she added, turning to Beth. “Your Uncle Cortlandt, in New York, has asked you on to visit him for this winter. Do you want to go?” Beth ran over and threw her arms around Aunt Rebecca. To her surprise her aunt’s arms closed around her plump little figure uncomfortably tight; Aunt Rebecca was not given to embraces.