been narrated in these pages, they had been quarrels in which each had borne their part as, at least, equals, even if Lettice had not assumed, and been permitted by Frank to assume, a position of superiority. Now the tables were turned, and while she had a certain sense of ill-usage, at the same time she had never before felt how strongly, in spite of everything, she loved her husband.

'And he would not even let me tell him my adventures; and I know he will be pleased at my being taken for a lady-a lady staying at the Castle,' thought she. 'Oh, if I was only a real lady! Oh, if only he did not keep a shop!'

As these thoughts passed through her mind, she stretched her hand listlessly out and pulled a little volume down from the shelf near her, taking it idly as the first book she could reach without the trouble of moving, and attracted also by its pretty binding.

verses.

She opened it and found that on each page was a text or two from the Bible, followed by a few Her eyes fell on this: For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content' (Phil. iv. 11); 'Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee' (Heb. xiii. 5), which she read with a little shock of surprise, as it seemed to have come

there like an answer and reproof to her thoughts. And after that she read these verses:

'Be contented with your place

On this earth that we inherit;
Poverty is no disgrace,

Nor are riches any merit.
Tread the path that is your own,
With a modest self-respect,
Nor for things that are unknown,
Duties tangible neglect.

'Some one may have something got
You are wanting, but be certain
You have something he has not :
There are two sides to the curtain.

God has given what is fit,

'Twixt the cradle and the grave; You must make the best of it,

Knowing it is God who gave.'

'What queer verses! what odd ideas!' soliloquized Lettice; 'but it's not true, you know, because then we should never rise, and everybody ought to rise if they can. In fact, nobody ought to be contented with his position in life. If a captain was, where would be the use of generals? and no poor man would ever grow rich. Sure why should I be contented with a little shop when I want a villa and grounds to it, and a trap, and ever so many other nice things besides, which I will never have unless Frank gets on to be better off than he is now?-why should I?'

'Will you show me some notepaper, please?' said a gay kind voice, interrupting her meditations, and for the first time in her life Lettice found herself obliged to stand up behind a counter and serve in a shop.

She raised her eyes to see who was addressing her as she glided forward, and discovered that her first customer was Miss Diana Hope.

M

DIANA HOPE.

ISS DIANA HOPE looked just as pretty as when earlier in the day she had walked down to the river, singing gentle cadences about her fisherman, and attired in the same holland dress and brigand hat as she had then worn.

Evidently Miss Diana Hope had not dined, nor had the time come for her even to think of dressing for dinner, and Lettice regretted more than ever her own ungenteel hour for that meal.

She looked with pleased admiring eyes at the young lady, whom she really thought appeared to regard her with the same, and then turning rather shyly away, she opened a drawer and took out of it some packets of notepaper. Frank had only said what was a fact, when he declared that she knew where all the articles for sale were as well as he did.

When first he had brought her home, the novelty of the thing had amused her, and she had hunted up and down through every shelf in the shop, and made herself mistress of all its arrangements.

'I never saw you here before,' said Miss Hope pleasantly.

Lettice looked at her with a bright smile and shook her head.

'You never did,' she said, 'but sure I will be most happy to serve you.' She spoke rather hesitatingly, and laid some of the packets of notepaper before her first customer as she did so. 'Will any of these suit you?'

'It must be small-and quite a common simple sort-no-none of these devices, please-something like everything else-something that could not be traced, you know.'

The word traced seemed to escape her almost accidentally, and she stopped short, gave a little laugh, and looked sharply at Lettice.

'Are you Mr. Tippington's sister?' she asked. 'I left him in papa's study with a parcel of books, and ran off here in ever so great a hurry, expecting to find only the shop-boy,' and she gave another rather odd little laugh.

'It's out on an errand Pat is,' replied Lettice; 'and I am not Mr. Tippington's sister-I am his wife.'