She put her hands before her face for a moment, but then quickly withdrew them and folding them in her lap, sat silent till her mother spoke. "The house was inevitable, of course I always knew that--and St. John is now of age. I do not know whether you had thought of it, I supposed you had." "It never had occurred to me. I had forgotten that the house was left to him." "And our united income, Missy, yours and mine, would have been seriously crippled if we had attempted to buy it from him, and to keep it up. This is an expensive place, and it would make you unhappy to see it less well kept than formerly. Even if--if I had not resolved upon this step for myself, it would scarcely have been possible to have remained here, at least, as we have been. This has been a great care and anxiety to me for many months. It would have been a great relief to me to have spoken to you, but your want of sympathy in St. John's work, made it impossible for me to talk to you about it. It has seemed so to St. John and me--we have given it much anxious thought--that the income from your father's property which I have settled all on you, is ample for your maintenance any where you choose to live. But--to me it has seemed a good plan, that you should take the old Roncevalle house across the way, with Aunt Harriet, and live there. It is vacant now you know, it is comfortable, the rent is low--" Missy's eyes gave forth a sudden glow of light; she started to her feet, but then sank back upon her chair again. "Mamma, that is too much--that is more than I can stand. The home is to be broken up--my whole life is to be laid waste. I am no longer set in a family--I am adrift--I am motherless and homeless--but that is not what I complain of. I only ask, why am I to take up the unpleasantest duty of your life? Why am I to be burdened with a blind, infirm and hateful woman who is in no way related to me by ties of blood or of affection? A beautiful home you have mapped out for me! An enchanting future! It seems to me you must think better of me than I have ever been led to believe you did, if you think me capable of such self-sacrifice."