"You forget, dame," said her husband, "that my lady has known Winifred longer than we have, and that Sir John's family took her up because she was useful to them in teaching the young ladies." But Dame Evans did not choose to remember. Winifred had chosen her lot, and she must abide by it, she said. She washed her hands of the whole matter. Thank goodness, she had no reason to be running after gentlefolks. She had kept her own house over her head and the heads of her family—much thanks she got for it—and she hoped to do so, though the bread "had" been taken out of the mouths of her children to enrich strangers. And here, the temper coming uppermost once more, she fell into a regular screaming and kicking fit of hysterics. "Go, Winifred, you can do no good here," said her uncle. "May God bless you, child! I trust and will believe you are provided for, but if ever you are in need, remember my house is always open to you. Give my grateful duty to my lady, and as you go by the goldsmith's, send in Dame Joyce to see to your aunt. She is a good-natured woman, and knows how to manage her." Winifred never saw her aunt again. The dame died not very long after from a cold taken in scrubbing the bricks of the little court one cold day, while she was wet through and through from washing of windows. After waiting a decent time, Simon Evans took to wife a younger sister of Dame Joyce, who had been well-educated in one of the excellent foundation schools of Bristol. With all the kindness of heart and cheerfulness of spirit of her elder sister, she possessed more sense and steadiness of purpose. She proved a real blessing to the household of Simon Evans, and was more truly a mother to his daughters than ever their own had been. Simon Evans grew rich and prospered, and, feeling a certain longing after his old home, he sold out his business, and retired with his family to the Stonehill farm, where he and his wife lived and died in peace, respected by all who knew them. In the course of a week Lady Peckham returned to her house at Exeter, taking Paulina and Winifred, and the two girls were soon settled into a regular course of study and work, under the direction of Lady Peckham and the vigorous supervision of Mrs. Alwright. Relieved from the annoyance of curious and reproachful eyes, and influenced by the calm and cheerful spirit of her cousin, Paulina rapidly regained health and spirits. She took a new interest in the accomplishments she had heretofore despised, when shown that they, like all other advantages, were talents committed to her charge to be used for the glory of God and the good of those about her. She threw herself into study and work with an energy which nobody had believed was in her, and daily surprised her kind teacher by her progress, and astonished Alwright by her skill in inventing new patterns and improving old ones, and by baking a saffron cake and an almond pastry as well as her teacher or Winifred.