This St. Andrew’s fulfilled to her mind, being handsome, reverent, and decorous in all the arrangements, while to the younger folk it was “all very well,” but quite of the old times. Little did they know of “old times” beyond the quarter century of their birth! Poor old Arnscombe might feebly represent them, but even that had struggled out of the modern “dark ages.” Magdalen had decided on talking to Agatha and seeing how far she understood the situation, and she came to her room to put her in possession now that Mrs. Best had left the guest chamber free. “This is your home when you are here. You must put up any belongings that you do not want to take to St. Robert’s.” “Thank you; it is a nice pleasant room.” “And, my dear, may I stay a few minutes? I think we had better have a talk, and quite understand one another.” “Very well.” It was not quite encouraging, but Agatha really wished to hear, and she advanced a wicker chair for her elder sister, and sat down on the window seat. “Thank you, my dear; I do not know how much Mrs. Best has told you.” “She told us that you had always been very good to us, and that you had been our guardian ever since we lost our mother.” “Did she tell you what we have of our own that our father could leave us?” “No.” “What amounts to about £40 a year apiece. Mrs. Best in her very great goodness has taken you four for that amount, though her proper charge is eighty.” “And she never let any one guess it,” said Agatha, more warmly, “for fear we might feel the difference. How very good of her.” She seemed more impressed by Mrs. Best’s bounty than by Magdalen’s, but probably she took the latter as a matter of course and obligation; besides, the sense of it involved a sum in subtraction. However, this was not observed by her sister, who did not want to feel obliged. “Now that this property has come in,” continued Magdalen, “we can live comfortably together upon it for the present, and your expenses at Oxford can be paid, as well as masters in what may be needful for the others, and an allowance for dress. I suppose you will want the £40 while you are at St. Robert’s, besides the regular expenses?” “Thank you,” warmly said. “But I want you to understand, as I think you do, about the future, for you must be prepared to be independent.” “I should have wished for a career if I had been a millionaire,” said Agatha. “I believe you would, and it is well that you should have every advantage. But the others. If I left you all this property, it would not be a comfortable maintenance divided among four; and you would not like to be dependent, or to leave the last who might not marry to a pittance alone.” “Certainly not,” said Agatha, with flashing eyes. “Then you see that it is needful that you should be able to do something for yourselves. I can give one of you at a time the power of going to the University.” “I don’t think Vera or Polly would wish for that,” said Agatha.