The Reconciliation.

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'I don't think you ought to be alone with her. Shall I stay with you?'

'No, thank you,' answered Theodora quietly; 'I am not afraid.' Then she added, 'Mrs. Toogood will want you with her.'

Then Florence suddenly threw herself on her knees, and put her head upon Theodora's lap and sobbed, and said

'Oh! Theo, I am so sorry! Can you ever forgive me? Am I too bad for you to forgive? Theo, can you ever love me again? May we ever be friends again?'

Theodora bent over her, and kissed her hair; and crying as much as Florence, she answered

'I have nothing to forgive; it is all over now. I have always loved you, Florence, always through it all, dear. Oh! I am so thankful that it is all right. I am so thankful and so happy!'

I am afraid poor Mrs. Toogood was forgotten for the time; but she guessed what was taking place, and was satisfied.

'You are very good, Theo,' said Florence, after a long pause, during which the girls had sat with their arms round each other's waists, in the manner of girls.

'What do you mean ?' asked Theodora.

'I could not have worn myself out to nurse a girl who had treated me as she has treated you,' said Florence, indicating Isabel.

'Yes, you could, dear,' Theodora answered simply. 'What else was there for me to do? I could not let

her be left alone. And, you remember, the Bible tells us that we are to be kind to those who are unkind to us.'

Florence commenced crying afresh, a movement which astonished Theodora; but she thought she cried from excitement, and only kissed her, which, of course, made her cry the more.

'Do not tell Mrs. Toogood how unquiet she is,' observed Theodora, with her usual thoughtfulness for others, as Isabel started up afresh at some word she had caught in the last sentence spoken.

'But I think I ought to remain with you, Theo,' said Florence.

'How can Mrs. Toogood, in her present state, attend upon those other two? Bertha is so exacting and so fractious, I know. If Isabel should become worse, I can call you.'

She ceased as Dr. Home entered. He nodded and smiled at her, on seeing her seated by the bedside, and then went to his patient.

Isabel was worse than Theodora had imagined, and she had the doctor's company throughout the night, until, towards morning, Isabel fell into an exhausted sleep.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

The nurse arrives-Party in Mrs. Astley's sitting-room-Gertrude's system of bribing Georgey-The annual fair-Miss Clarke's firstrate scheme-Gertrude's indifference to her mother's comfort.

HEODORA was so happy in her reconciliation to Florence, that everything appeared light to her; yet she had time to grieve over Alfred now, for Isabel was resigned into the hands of the nurse, who had just arrived from London. This nurse was a large, bony woman, very decided in her manner with her patient, and by no means pretty to look at. Florence and Theodora had taken the opportunity of her arrival to have a good long talk together, in the fashion of former days, and a good cry over Alfred.

And while this was going on at Prospect House, there was a small party collected in the sitting-room of Mrs. Astley's cottage, composed of the lady of the house, Mr. Morgan, and some others; and this was what they were saying

'I cannot help feeling very anxious and uncomfortable about Theo,' commenced Mrs. Astley. 'It is now a

week since I have heard from her; and it is so strange that she should not have answered my last letter.'

'I have no doubt she has her hands full enough, poor child,' answered Mr. Morgan.

'Were it not that Mrs. Toogood herself wrote to me, and promised to let me know instantly should Theodora be ill, I should be really alarmed.'

'Don't be that, dear Mrs. Astley,' said Mr. Morgan, laughing. 'We have had enough of causeless alarm lately. Don't let us meet troubles half way.'

'Yes, indeed,' said Mrs. Astley, her eyes filling with tears, as she looked round upon her children assembled. 'Still, I thought she would have answered my last letter immediately.'

'Perhaps she did answer it, and nobody put it in the post, mamma,' suggested Edith. You know Theo said Florence Leigh had to

they had no servants, and that cook the dinner. What fun! No servants! I wish I was there to help.'

'You goose!' said her mother.

'And to have to wash the dishes and clean the fireplace one's self, just like a charwoman; oh! I should like it so much, mamma; wouldn't you?' said Edith.

'No, I should not, Edie.'

'I am sure I would not do it,' observed Gertrude. 'I would go without dinner before I would cook it.'

'Well, I should not care to cook it all alone for myself,' said Edith innocently; but I should like to cook it for mamma, and dear Theo, and the rest of you.'