XXXIV. THE CLOUD OVERHEAD 345 XXXV. THIS "WORKING-DAY WORLD" 357 XXXVI. THE BROWNIE 374 XXXVII. TIMOTHY AND HIS MASTER 383 XXXVIII. WHEREIN THE BLACK PRINCE ARRIVES OPPORTUNELY 395 XXXIX. HALCYON DAYS 406 XL. "PRODIGIOUS!" 419 XLI. "THE CLOUDS RETURN AFTER THE RAIN" 428 XLII. ONE LESS IN THE WIDE, WIDE WORLD 438 XLIII. THOSE THAT WERE LEFT 448 XLIV. THE LITTLE SPIRIT THAT HAUNTED THE BIG HOUSE 458 XLV. THE GUARDIAN ANGEL 473 XLVI. "SOMETHING TURNS UP" 487 XLVII. THE WIDE WORLD GROWN WIDER 502 XLVIII. HOW OLD FRIENDS WERE INVESTED WITH THE REGALIA 515 XLIX. THOUGHT IS FREE 531 L. TRIALS WITHOUT 542 LI. TRIALS WITHIN 552 LII. "THOU!" 561 THE WIDE, WIDE WORLD CHAPTER I Enjoy the spring of love and youth, To some good angel leave the rest, For time will teach thee soon the truth, "There are no birds in last year's nest." --LONGFELLOW. "Mamma, what was that I heard papa saying to you this morning about his lawsuit?" "I cannot tell you just now. Ellen, pick up that shawl and spread it over me." "Mamma!--are you cold in this warm room?" "A little,--there, that will do. Now, my daughter, let me be quiet awhile--don't disturb me." There was no one else in the room. Driven thus to her own resources, Ellen betook herself to the window and sought amusement there. The prospect without gave little promise of it. Rain was falling, and made the street and everything in it look dull and gloomy. The foot-passengers plashed through the water, and the horses and carriages plashed through the mud; gaiety had forsaken the side-walks, and equipages were few, and the people that were out were plainly there only because they could not help it. But yet Ellen, having seriously set herself to study everything that passed, presently became engaged in her occupation; and her thoughts travelling dreamily from one thing to another, she sat for a long time with her little face pressed against the window-frame, perfectly regardless of all but the moving world without.