netting would be ready for sale-and Griselda would be sure to get more employment from the warehouse.

For a long time they tried to conjecture who could have sent them this money. The word "stranger" puzzled them most. What stranger was likely to interest himself in their concerns? They could make nothing of it. Neither mentioned the name of Florian, but each was firmly convinced that he was in some way instrumental in their relief.

CHAPTER VI.

Nought is there under heav'ns wide hollownesse,
That moves more deare compassion of the mind
Than beautie brought t' unworthie wretchednesse,
Through envie's snares, or fortune's freakes unkind.
I, whether lately through her brightnes blynd,
Or through allegiance and fast fealty,
Which I do owe unto all womankind,

Feele my hart perst with so great agony,
When such I see that all for pitty I could dy.

SPENSER.

GRISELDA now pursued her enquiries for work with fresh spirit; and one day she returned to her sister with the welcome news, that a stock of maps, which required very nice colouring-Griselda was skilful in her work-would be ready for her next week. While congratulating themselves on their good fortune, a shrill voice was heard calling on Griselda. She went to the head of the stairs, and received this message from a woman on the lower floor

"There's a gentleman to see you, Miss

Ashley, so I've told him to come up; and I'll trouble you to let him know that your's is the attic bell, that he mayn't bring me to the door when he comes again."

"How very strange!" exclaimed Millicent, as she went to prepare her sister. "A visiter —and I left the lid of the teapot open while I went for your roll this morning."

The visiter was no other than the respectable Mr. Rock. "As Miss Ashley," he said with a bow to Millicent, "was unable to come out, he had thought it right to call himself (he laid much stress on that word), that he might precisely inform her how matters stood in the great Ashley cause, and take her directions on the course to be pursued."

There

Mr. Rock, who had stood while he said. this, now looked round for a chair. were two in the room, but one was by the bedside, filled with Millicent's netting, and on the other some things were spread ready for her use. Griselda hastily cleared one for his use, and placed it near Millicent's head.

The pious lawyer mean time took a survey of the room. He had never seen them in that place before, and its abject poverty inspired him with great contempt for the girls who in

habited it. It occurred to him as something absurd-quite a joke, in fact that they should pretend to an estate of six or seven thousand a year at least-with mesne profits amounting to near a hundred thousand pounds, all safely invested in Three per Cent. Consols, and standing, as any one might see by searching the books, to the credit of the cause! And not only that; but to oppose Mr. Laneton, one of the greatest capitalists in the world, an M.P., who was invited to the minister's state dinners, and who kept an account at Glynn's, at the Bank of England, and at Coutts'!—Morever, to act in direct opposition to the advice of their own solicitor-to fly in his face, though they owed him three thousand pounds and upward, part of it borrowed money too, it was unnatural, monstrous, shocking, impious—actually impious!

Nothing of this train of thought, however, appeared in his face. His fat cheeks were puffed out by his usual simper, and he softly rubbed his velvety hands with an air of the most placid benevolence. He bent forward over Millicent's bed, and dear'd and poor thing'd her with quite fatherly tenderness.

poor

The anger of Millicent was always raised by

this kind of pity.

Slightly raising herself on her pillow, she waved her hand with the command of a queen, and said—

"I will thank you to move further off; I shall still hear you quite plainly."

Mr. Rock obeyed; but, as he did so, inwardly deplored her stubborn pride; and, though his piety prevented him from conceiving any feeling of resentment, he could not help regarding it as providential that he came on business which must humble her.

As for Griselda, she stood apart in anxious expectation, glad that the man of law was brought face to face with her sister, yet a little trembling the issue of the interview.

"Now, you may proceed, Sir," said Millicent, when the little smirking attorney had edged his chair to the other extremity of their narrow room.

Mr. Rock thereupon commenced his wellconsidered discourse. He dwelt on the efforts he had made the monies he had advanced -the points he had raised-the adverse decisions he had had to fight against. He feared that zeal for his young clients had already carried him too far, and protested that his conscience would not allow him to go further. The case must be given up. He