“Then, madam, I must leave you for ever,” said Patty, moving towards the door. “I wish you your health and happiness, and am sorry to break so short.” “The girl’s an idiot!” cried Mrs. Crumpe. “After this you cannot expect that I should remember you in my will.” “No, indeed, madam; I expect no such thing,” said Patty. (Her hand was on the lock of the door as she spoke.) “Then,” said Mrs. Crumpe, “perhaps you will think it worth your while to stay with me, when I tell you I have not forgot you in my will? Consider that, child, before you turn the handle of the door. Consider that; and don’t disoblige me for ever.” “Oh, madam, consider my poor brother. I am sorry to disoblige you for ever; but I can consider nothing but my poor brother,” said Patty. The lock of the door turned quickly in her hand. “Why! Is your brother rich? What upon earth do you expect from this brother, that can make it worth your while to behave to me in this strange way?” said Mrs. Crumpe. Patty was silent with astonishment for a few moments, and then answered, “I expect nothing from him, madam; he is as poor as myself; but that does not make me love him the less.” Before Mrs. Crumpe could understand this last speech, Patty had left the room. Her mistress sat up in her bed, in the same attitude, for some minutes after she was gone, looking fixedly at the place where Patty had stood: she could scarcely recover from her surprise; and a multitude of painful thoughts crowded upon her mind. “If I were dying, and poor, who would come to me? Not a relation I have in the world would come near me! Not a creature on earth loves me as this poor girl loves her brother, who is as poor as herself.” Here her reflections were interrupted by hearing the galloping of Patty’s horse, as it passed by the windows. Mrs. Crumpe tried to compose herself again to sleep, but she could not; and in half an hour’s time she rang the bell violently, took her purse out of her pocket, counted out twenty bright guineas, and desired that a horse should be saddled immediately, and that her steward should gallop after Patty, and offer her that _whole sum in hand_, if she would return. “Begin with one guinea, and bid on till you come up to her price,” said Mrs. Crumpe. “Have her back again I will, if it were only to convince myself that she is to be had for money as well as other people.” The steward, as he counted the gold in his hand, thought it was a great sum to throw away for such a whim: he had never seen his lady take the whim of giving away ready money before; but it was in vain to remonstrate; she was peremptory, and he obeyed. In two hours’ time he returned, and Mrs. Crumpe saw her gold again with extreme astonishment. The steward said he could not prevail upon Patty even to look at the guineas. Mrs. Crumpe now flew into a violent passion, in which none of our readers will probably sympathize: we shall therefore forbear to describe it. CHAPTER III.