it, and I will go on with Columbus to Arabella, as fast as I can.'

Arabella gave a good account of her pupils that day, when lessons were over, and she came with a good humored happy face to work by her cousin. wonder when Mr Fyley will let you walk about again. Are not you very tired of lying on the bed all day by yourself?'

'I have not been much by myself,' said Elizabeth, but I do want to come into the parlor again to you all; I shall ask Mr Fyley tomorrow, to let me come down.'

'I wish you had been in the parlor just now, we have had such a nice quaker lady, who called to speak to mamma about the new school.'

'The school that Peggy Rye goes to?' Yes; it is a Lancasterian school, where the children teach one another;

and she says we may go to see it whenever we like. There is to be an examination on Friday, but I told her I did not think you would be well enough to go on Friday.'

But you can go without me, my dear Arabella! Do pray go on Friday. You will see Peggy Rye, and perhaps she may be made a monitor; you really ought to go to the examination.'

'Do not be in such a bustle about it,' said Arabella, looking up and smiling, 'I would much rather stay and sit with you. I believe I shall be sorry when you get well, because I like so much to wait upon you; you are the first person, the first stranger I mean, that ever was so very kind to me.'

6

'I remember,' said Elizabeth, after a minute's silence, when I first came, I thought you did not like me at all; that first morning in the arbor when I came

you

would

to sit by you, you looked as if have said, "I wish you were farther."'

That is not quite a week ago,' replied Arabella; 'I am sure it seems to me, as if you had been here a month. There are people I have known all my life, that I cannot talk to, as I do to you. 'Because I am nearly of your own age,' said Elizabeth.

'I never like people of my own age.? 'Do you not?'

'No; because they never like me; they say I am grumpy.'

'Never mind,' said Elizabeth, 'you will not be "grumpy" long, and then they will like you.'

Arabella held up her work, which was a muslin frill with a satin stitch. border. This is to put me in mind, and I mean it for you.'

"Thank you; it will take a great deal of work, but it will be beautiful when it is finished.'

'That is just right; I wonder,' added she, thoughtfully, whether I shall have cured myself by the time it is done. I am afraid not.'

If she could have sat always by her cousin's side, Arabella would have needed no frill to remind her; but Arthur and Rose were sometimes, as she truly said, 'very provoking.' She did not always know how far she ought to yield to them about little things, when she was sure she was right; and when it was necessary to oppose, she was apt to do it in an unpleasant manner. Elizabeth was aware of all this, and it made her very eager to be down stairs again; but she would not leave her room without Mr Fyley's advice, and on Thursday Mr Fyley did not come. This was not one of Arabella's brightest days, and Arthur was in unmanageably high spirits; he had eaten his breakfast

with a butter knife, and picked up the crumbs with a shovel; he had carried the sofa-cushions on to the grass-plot, in spite of all that Arabella could say; and he had turned all the chairs in the room topsey-turvey. At last she called him to lessons. I do not like to do lessons with you.'

No,' said Rose, who was standing by and trying to look saucy, I do not like to say lessons to Arabella.'

'Now, Arthur, what a naughty boy you are, to make Rose naughty.' 'Now, Arabella, what a silly girl you are, to call Rose and me naughty.' 'We wont do lessons to Arabella, will we?" said Rose.

'Yes, I think we will,' said Arthur, whose conscience was beginning to prick him; 'we will say lessons to her this once; and tomorrow I dare say cousin Elizabeth will hear us.'