"I began to think something of that sort," said Mrs. Danvers; "but, my dear young lady, what can have brought you to this terrible state of destitution?" "Misfortune upon misfortune, madam. My father was, indeed, a clergyman, and held the little vicarage of Castle Rising. There Catherine," looking affectionately up at her, "met me upon her visits to her aunt, Mrs. Montague." "We have known each other from children," put in Catherine. The door opened, and Reynolds appeared-- "The cab is waiting, if you please, Miss Melwyn." "Oh, dear! oh, dear! I can't go just this moment. Bid the man wait." "It is late already," said Reynolds, taking out his watch. "The train starts in twenty minutes." "Oh, dear! oh, dear! and when does the next go? I can't go by this. Can I, dear Mrs. Danvers? It is impossible." "Another starts in an hour afterward." "Oh! that will do--tell Sarah to be ready for that. Well, my dear, go on, go on--dear Lettice, you were about to tell us how all this happened--but just another cup of tea. Do you like it strong?" "I like it any way," said Lettice, who was beginning to recover her spirits, "I have not tasted any thing so comfortable for a very long time." "Dear me! dear me!" "You must have suffered very much, I fear, my dear young lady," said Mrs. Danvers, in a kind voice of interest, "before you could have sunk to the level of that miserable home where I found you." "Yes," said Lettice. "Every one suffers very much, be the descent slow or rapid, when he has to fall so far. But what were my sufferings to poor Myra's!" "And why were your sufferings as nothing in comparison with poor Myra's?" "Ah, madam, there are some in this world not particularly favored by nature or fortune, who were born to be denied; who are used to it from their childhood--it becomes a sort of second nature to them, as it were. They scarcely feel it. But a beautiful girl, adored by an old relation, accustomed to every sort of indulgence and luxury! They doated upon the very ground she trod on. Oh! to be cast down to such misery, that _is_ dreadful." "I don't see--I don't know," said Catherine, who, like the world in general, however much they might admire, and however much too many might flatter Myra, greatly preferred Lettice to her sister. "I don't know," said she, doubtingly. "Ah! but you would know if you could see!" said the generous girl. "If you could see what she suffers from every thing--from things that I do not even feel, far less care for--you would be so sorry for her." Mrs. Danvers looked with increasing interest upon the speaker. She seemed to wish to go on with the conversation about this sister, so much pitied; so she said, "I believe what you say is very true. Very true, Catherine, in spite of your skeptical looks. Some people really do suffer very much more than others under the same circumstances of privation." "Yes, selfish people like Myra," thought Catherine, but she said nothing.