the blood rushed to her cheeks and the tears to her eyes. She could not have spoken, and happily it was no time then; everybody else was speaking; she could not have been heard. She had time to cool and recollect herself: but she sat with her eyes cast down, fastened upon her plate and the unfortunate bank-bill, which she detested with all her heart. She did not know what Alice had received; she understood nothing that was going on, till Alice touched her, and said gently, "Mr. Marshman is speaking to you, Ellen." "Sir!" said Ellen, starting. "You need not look so terrified," said Mr. Marshman, smiling; "I only asked you if your bill was a counterfeit--something seems to be wrong about it." Ellen looked at her plate and hesitated. Her lip trembled. "What is it?" continued the old gentleman. "Is anything the matter?" Ellen desperately took up the bill, and with burning cheeks marched to his end of the table. "I am very much obliged to you, sir, but I had a great deal rather not; if you please--if you will please to be so good as to let me give it back to you--I should be very glad." "Why, hoity toity!" said the old gentleman, "what's all this? what's the matter? don't you like it? I thought I was doing the very thing that would please you best of all." "I am very sorry you should think so, sir," said Ellen, who had recovered a little breath, but had the greatest difficulty to keep back her tears; "I never thought of such a thing as your giving me anything, sir, till somebody spoke of it, and I had rather never have anything in the world than that you should think what you thought about me." "What did I think about you?" "George told me that somebody told you, sir, I wanted money for my present." "And didn't you say so?" "Indeed I didn't, sir!" said Ellen, with sudden fire. "I never thought of such a thing!" "What _did_ you say then?" "Margaret was showing us her ear-rings, and she asked me if I wouldn't like to have some like them; and I couldn't help thinking I would a great deal rather have the money they would cost to buy something for Alice; and just when I said so you came in, sir, and she said what she did. I was very much ashamed. I wasn't thinking of you, sir, at all, nor of New Year." "Then you would like something else better than money." "No, sir, nothing at all, if you please. If you'll only be so good as not to give me this I will be very much obliged to you indeed; and please not to think I could be so shameful as you thought I was." Ellen's face was not to be withstood. The old gentleman took the bill from her hand. "I will never think anything of you," said he, "but what is the very tip-top of honourable propriety. But you make _me_ ashamed now--what am I going to do with this? Here have you come and made me a present, and I feel very awkward indeed." "I don't care what you do with it, sir," said Ellen, laughing, though in imminent danger of bursting into tears--"I am very glad it is out of _my_ hands."