"Niece Leighton, I desire you will not preach to me!" said Mrs. Philippa, though she looked startled. "It is very unbecoming in you to lecture your elders and betters. There, I am not angry with you, but mind you don't do it again. Tupper, where are the presents I bade you look out for the young ladies?" Tupper produced two parcels, and Mrs. Philippa gave Amabel a glass smelling-bottle in a gilt filigree case, and me a pretty tortoise-shell box full of caraway comfits. She then called upon us to admire her work and her cat, which we could do with a good conscience. Then, saying that she would send for us again some day, she bade Tupper show us the way to the still-room. "Well, I declare, Mrs. Leighton—plague on this new-fashioned way of saying Miss, I never shall learn it—you have bewitched my mistress out and out," said Tupper, in a tone of admiration, as we went down stairs. "I never knew her bear such plain speaking from any one. If Mrs. Chloe had said one quarter as much, Mrs. Philippa would have flown at her." "I ought not to have spoken so, perhaps, but it seemed to me so dreadful," said Amabel, "to think of her not speaking to her own sister for twenty years!" "Yes, it is dreadful, and when you think it was all because Mrs. Deborah saved her from life-long distress and misery. Well there, it is not for me to gossip of the family affairs. I dare say you will hear it all, only, I will just hint to you that you will gain nothing by being afraid of her. Well, here is the still-room. If you can give Mrs. Deborah any new receipts, you will make her happy." "Eh! What do you say?" asked Mrs. Deborah, whose sharp ears had caught the words. "What is that, Tupper?" Tupper repeated her words without any symptoms of alarm, as I noticed. "Yes, that is true enough, I am very fond of my still. Tupper, you may as well carry a bottle of this lavender water to your mistress. Tupper is a very valuable and faithful servant and knows how to deal with Sister Philippa, poor thing!" she added as Tupper shut the door. She always spoke of Mrs. Philippa in this tone of compassion behind her back, though she was occasionally sharp with her when they were together. I was happy in being able to give Mrs. Deborah a recipe for distilling Milk water * which was new to her, and to promise her some others when our luggage came. For I had carefully compiled a receipt book under the instruction of Mother Perpetua and Sister Lazarus, which contained some very occult and precious secrets. * See Mrs. Raffald's "Complete Cooke", or any old edition of Mrs. Glaesse—Mrs. Raffald is worth republishing. L. E. G.