"But what do you do with yourselves? Do you go out? You must not dawdle away your lives, you know. When we have you at Highbeck, we will teach you to ride; but that will not be very soon, I fear." We told her how Mrs. Thorpe had arranged for our lessons from Mr. Lilburne. "A most respectable person. I know him well, but methinks you should have a governess, or something of that sort. Have you not even a maid?" "No, madam, we have always been used to wait upon ourselves," answered Amabel. "Perhaps that is a good thing; however, I will see about it. Now, girls, I—we, I should say—hoped to have you at home before this time, but poor Chloe has had the smallpox as well as two of the maids, and Burdon, our butler—a pretty thing to be sure to be taking smallpox at his time of life. Poor Sister Chloe is not getting up well. She has a cough and pains in her chest, and the doctor says she should have a change. So we are going to take her to Cullercoats for the sea air and to drink the waters, and leave the house to be thoroughly aired and cleaned. We may be gone till near Christmas, and what to do with you in the meantime? You are rather old for school except as parlor boarders, and I do not like that way of living. What do you say, niece? You look like a sensible, steady young woman—tell me what you think of the matter." "Why should we not remain as we are, madam—" "Don't say madam, say Aunt Deborah," interrupted the lady. "Why should we not stay as we are, Aunt Deborah? Mrs. Thorpe is very kind and looks after us well, and she has put us in the way of improving ourselves, as you see. Why should we not stay here?" "I have no objection, I am sure, so you are properly looked after, as you say," replied Mrs. Deborah. "But you must not run about alone, or with any one but such as Mrs. Thorpe recommends. I will talk to her about this matter of a governess or companion. She is a good woman and well brought up, and a safe adviser for you. But what is this, and whom have we here?" The new-comer whom Betsy brought up stairs was no less a person than Mrs. Wilson, Lady Throckmorton's maid. She came with inquiries from her mistress as to our health, and an announcement that her ladyship would call at two o'clock in her carriage to carry us abroad for an airing. The woman had taken no notice of Mrs. Deborah, who sat listening. Her black eye-brows gathered closer together till they met above her nose. I came afterward to watch the drawing together of those eye-brows as one watches a thunder-cloud. When Mrs. Wilson had done, Mrs. Deborah answered deliberately, as though weighing every word. "Then you may tell my Lady Throckmorton from me, Mrs. Deborah Leighton, the aunt of these young ladies and their guardian, that neither now nor at any other time will they go abroad with her. I absolutely forbid their having any thing to do with her. Do you hear me, woman?"