"Yes, ma'am." "We cannot talk it over here, then. I will come to your room by and by." Which indeed she did. She came when the work of the day was behind her; and what a day! She had entertained some of her girls with a visit to the book-making operations of the American Bible Society; she had taken others to a picture gallery; she had packed a box to send to a poor friend in the country; she had looked over a bookseller's stock to see what he had that could be of service to her in her work; she had paid two visits to relations in the city; she had kept the whole group of her pupils happily entertained all the evening with pictures and puzzles; and now she came to be a sympathizing, patient, helpful friend to one little tired heart. She came in cheery and bright; looked to see if the room were comfortable and entirely arranged as it should be, and then took a seat and an air of expectant readiness. Was she tired? Perhaps--but it did not appear. What if she were tired? if here was more work that God had given her to do. She did not shew fatigue, in look or manner. She might have just risen after a night's sleep. "Are you comfortable here, my dear?" "O very, ma'am, thank you." "Now what is the business you want to speak about?" "I want you to tell me what I ought to do!" "About what? Have you had a pleasant day?" "Not at all pleasant." "How happened that?" "It was partly my fault." "Not altogether?" Mrs. Mowbray asked with a smile that was very kindly. "I do not think it was all my fault, ma'am. Partly it was. I lost my temper, and got angry, and said what I thought, and aunt Serena banished me. Then at luncheon I apologized and asked pardon; I did all I could. But that wasn't the trouble. Aunt Serena told me to bring her all my nice stockings, and she would get me coarser and commoner ones. Must I do it?" And Rotha's eyes looked up anxiously into the lace of her oracle. "What made her give you such an order?" Rotha hesitated, and said at last she did not know. "Are your stockings too fine for proper protection to your feet in cold weather?" "O, no, ma'am! nothing was said about _that_ at all; only I am a poor girl, and have no business to have fine stockings." "How came you to have them so fine?" "They were given to me. They were got for me; by a friend who was not poor. Are they not mine now?" "And you say your aunt wants them?" "Says I must bring them to her, and she will get me some more fit for me." "What does she want with them?" cried Mrs. Mowbray sharply. "She says _she_ has none so fine, and she will keep them till I want them; but when would that be?" "What did you say?" "I said nothing. I was too terribly angry. I got out of the house without saying anything. It all came from asking her for some darning cotton to mend them; and what she gave me was too coarse." "I have got fine darning cotton," said Mrs. Mowbray. "I will give you some."