"Cannot you guess, my children?" said Mrs. Fairchild, rather changing countenance; "but I had hoped that for a few days this business might not be explained to you. Our servants would not have told you, but I see that others will, so perhaps it is best that you should hear it now." "What is it, mamma?" said all three at once; "nothing bad, we hope." "Not bad," replied Mrs. Fairchild, "though it is what I and your dear papa had never wished for." "Oh, do tell us!" said Lucy, trembling. Mrs. Fairchild then told them that, by the death of their poor cousin, their father had come into the possession of the house and estate at The Grove, and, in fact, the whole of his late brother's fortune. The children could not at first understand this, but when they did, they were much excited. Their mother, after a while, told them that it would probably be necessary for them to leave that dear place, and go to The Grove, their grandmamma wishing to be always with them, and having her own comfortable rooms at The Grove. Lucy and Emily began to shed tears on hearing of this, but they said nothing at that time. Henry said: "But John, mamma, and Betty--what can we do without them?" "Can't they go with us, my dear?" said Mrs. Fairchild. "And John Trueman, and nurse, and Mary Bush, and Margery, and--and--and----" added Henry, not being able to get out any more names in his impatience. "And the school!" said Emily. "We do not live in the same house with these persons last mentioned," answered Mrs. Fairchild, "and therefore they would not miss us as those would do with whom we may reside; we must help them at a distance. If you, Lucy and Emily, have more money given you now, you must save it for these poor dear people. Kind Mrs. Burke will divide it amongst them as they want it; and she will look after the school." "Oh, Emily!" said Lucy, "we will save all we can." Emily could not speak, but she put her hand in Lucy's, and Lucy knew what that meant. Who could think of lessons such a day as this? As soon as breakfast was over, Henry ran to talk to John about all that he heard: and Lucy and Emily, with their mother's leave, went out into the air to recover themselves before they appeared in the presence of their grandmother. They were afraid of meeting the maid, so they went up to the top of the round hill, and seated themselves in the shade of the beech-trees. For a little while they looked about them, particularly down on the house and garden and the pleasant fields around them, every corner of which they knew as well as children always know every nook in the place in which they have spent their early days. They were both shedding tears, and yet trying to hide them from each other. Lucy was the first who spoke. "Oh, Emily!" she said, "I cannot bear to think of leaving this dear home. Can we ever be so happy again as we have been here?" The little girls were silent again for some minutes, and then Lucy went on: