"Of course not," said Miss Druett, dryly; "girls like you never do. To go on with my story: General Stanfield sent his cousin and her child home to the old house here. My mother revived with the change of air and the generous diet, and lived till I was about five and Priscilla twelve years old. Yes, there was all that difference in our ages, yet we were constant companions and friends. "It was not a happy household. Two people less fitted to live together than General and Mrs. Stanfield were, perhaps, never united. He was open-hearted, liberal to a fault, fond of gayety, and much given to hospitality, both to rich and poor. She was proud and reserved, standing much on her dignity, very strict and narrow in all her notions, and as fond of saving as Priscilla herself. It was she who taught Priscilla to regard economy as an end, not a means. To save the consumption of a candle or an ounce of butter; to make a sixpence stretch as far as a shilling; to keep the whole household on half rations when the General went away—these were the triumphs of which she was most proud, and for which she lived. I heard her say once that she meant to save something for herself and Priscilla when the General was dead. But she died long before him. "Priscilla mourned her sincerely; but she found consolation in walking in her mother's steps. But her reign was not a long one. In less than two years the General brought home another bride, not so very much older than Priscilla herself. She was a sweet, gentle, pretty creature, but she was not a fool by any means. She had a great deal of steady principle, and was very religious. She would go to church every Sunday, and read the Bible, both alone and with the servants. At first she had both the General and Priscilla against her; but latterly the General was won to go to church with her once on Sunday; and, though he never made any profession of Christianity, I think his feelings toward it were a good deal softened before he died. "A cousin of my poor mother's, who had a good and popular school in Philadelphia, wrote, offering to give me an education, and General Stanfield accepted the offer for me. I staid with her ten years; first as pupil, then as teacher; till she died and the school was broken up. My cousin ought to have left a good fortune; but she was unfortunate and lost a good deal of money. The estate was divided, and all that fell to my share was a small house, a little way out of Philadelphia, and about a hundred dollars. Priscilla wrote for me to come to her, and I came. At this time, Richard—your father—was a gay young man, in college, coming home for his vacations, and turning his father and every one else—except Priscilla—round his finger, by his winning and coaxing ways. Even Priscilla herself was won by him while he was present, though she hated him when he was away." "Why did she hate him?" asked Calista.