Page 50 (1/1)

Aurelia ventured to ask about her baggage, and was told that it would be forwarded from Brentford Mrs Aylward then led the way to a wide stone staircase, with handsoreat hall, with doors opening from all sides All was perfectly empty, and so still, that the sweep of the dresses, and the tap of the heels e , ht and shadow, and exactly repeated the brown-shaded, yellow-fralass upon the pave awful and oppressive in the entire absence of all tokens of habitation, a those many closed doors

One, however, at the foot of the stairs was opened by Mrs Aylward It led to a sort of narrow lobby, with a sashedabove a low door, opening on stone steps down to the terrace and garden To the right was an open door, giving ad with tapestry, with a small carpet in the centre of the floor, and a table prepared for the h it was bare of furniture; but there was an easy chair, a settee, a long couch, a spinnet, and an eether it had capabilities of being lived in

"Here you will sit,ladies," said Mrs Aylward "They have a , you will be pleased to speak to e of them, and likewise to execute the piece of embroidery you will find in that frame, with the materials This will be your apartarden and park, wherever you please, except that they , which you will see closed with shutters, for those are Mr Belamour's rooms"

With these words Mrs Aylward curtsied as if about to retire, Aurelia held out her hand in entreaty "Oh, cannot you stay with me?"

"No, madam, my office is the housekeeper's," was the stiff response "Molly will call me if you require my services I think you said you preferred bread and milk for breakfast Dinner will be served at one"

Mrs Aylward retreated, leaving a chill on the heart of the lonely girl

She was a clergyentility, and was a plain, conscientious, godly woman, but with the narrow self-concentrated piety of the tinore all the active part of the duty to our neighbour She had lived many years as a faithful retainer to the Bela no one's business but her own, and that thoroughly Naturally reserved, and disapproving much that she saw around her, she had never held it to be needful to do rity, and the interests of her employers, and she made it a principle to be in no wise concerned in family affairs, and to hold aloof from perilous confidences