While they were at tea, the two girls chatted over their plans for the future, during which Mabel learned that her uncle filled a large share of his younger daughter's heart. That it was for "papa" that Isabel took so much pains with her music, because to hear her play often soothed him when he came home tired of an evening, and his wife and elder daughter were out. "It rests him more than anything when he is very much worried," said Isabel; "and sometimes when I play, as I often do, in a minor key, it helps him to go to sleep." Mabel looked as though she thought this a very poor compliment—a very questionable aim to study music for. And she began to think her cousin must be a poor insignificant little thing to be satisfied with such a result. "I don't think that would quite please me," she said aloud. "But if it was the only thing you could do for your father, you would not think so," said Isabel quickly. "You see, I don't know anything about being useful. Cook knows just what he likes for dinner, so I cannot help that way, and the upper housemaid sews on all the buttons neater than I could, so there is nothing else left for me to do." "No, I suppose not," said Mabel in a pitying tone, "but still I think we ought to have an aim in life, and to aim high." "I am afraid I have not thought much about such things," said Isabel with something of a sigh, "but papa said you would be able to help me in many ways, and so you must tell me what I ought to do." But at this moment there came an interruption. A servant came to summon Mabel down-stairs, for her father was going, as he wanted to reach the end of his journey that night. And when she came back again, there was the work of unpacking to be done. Mabel learned that there was a young servant whose special work it was to wait upon them, and do anything they might require, and she was not slow in availing herself of this help, although Isabel eagerly pressed to be allowed to assist. "No, no, dear. Ann can help me just as well. She can reach the pegs in the wardrobe even better than you, I think." For Isabel was not only slight and frail-looking, but short for her age too. Another but unconfessed reason was that it was a new and altogether unexpected pleasure to Mabel to have a maid at her own disposal, and she was not slow to avail herself of the full benefit of her service. When the unpacking was done, and the boxes carried away, Mabel sat down by the fire and bade Ann brush out her hair and plait it up afresh, before she put on another dress in readiness to go down-stairs. Isabel had changed hers, putting on a pretty dark silk, and Mabel felt that she must put on the light silk that had been intended for state occasions. So the companion brown merino that had been laid out on the bed in readiness was put away and the other donned in its stead. And Mabel felt and looked quite radiant in her pale blue glace, trimmed with white lace.