CHAP. II.

Thus Lucy Bassett stood when Mary brought in her chocolate. She hastily partook of it, set aside the tray, lighted the lamp, brought forth her drawing materials, and with fresh fair hands, beside the broad window open to the pure evening breeze, sat down to draw those pretty cups and buds and shining leaves, as they lay on, and in, the silver spoon.

It was full half-past ten, when a cab stayed before the little Canonbury cottage, and a plain, middle-aged woman alighting therefrom, with a capacious basket, went up-stairs to Lucy Bassett's room. She knocked, then gently opened the door, looked round it, and went in, as though fearing to intrude. But in an instant Lucy was by her side, had taken both her hands, had put down the basket, had led her to a capacious chair by the window, and making her sit down in it, drew a stool for herself to her feet. There was such tenderness, and truth and respect in good Miss Mogg's face, as she looked down upon the young girl, as to give to her pallid homely features a touch of maternal beauty.

After a kindly greeting, Miss Moggs looked towards the table; "I hope you will forgive my coming late, dear child," she said; "but you know that I have to head our large suppertable, and that Saturday night is our latest in the week."

"Oh! I know all so well, dear Moggs," said Lucy," that you must spare apologies. I am only glad, amidst all you have to think of, that you find even a moment for a little solitary stranger like myself. It is very good of you, and proves how truthful you are."

"Who ought to be you," replied Miss Moggs earnestly; "for think what you have been to us and to our hard duties-lessening them in number and length, and so adding pleasure and profit to the leisure given, that our great retail house has become a proverb even beyond St. Paul's. For though Mr. Bowyer has a good heart and sound practical sense, it was not till he discovered the advantage his children had reaped from your instruction, and learnt to prize your friendship, and to heed whatever you suggested, however indirectly spoken, that he

made those changes in our hours of business, that have been such a blessing and a profit to those he employs. For he is a worthy man, always willing to follow out improvements when he can be once made to see their value. Thus he is a contrast to his kindly yet vulgar wife, whose growth only keeps pace with her husband's riches in two things, those in regard to the feeding and adornment of her body."

"I grant, dear Moggs, that she is fearfully common-place and vulgar," replied Lucy kindly; "and both these things were a great affliction to me when I first became instructress to her daughters three years ago. But she has a good heart, and there is always hope for improvement when such is the case. As for what I have done for you and the rest of the business household, it must not be made too much of, or I shall grow vain. It was but giving a few hours through the winter evenings, and instructing some of you in music, others in drawing, and others in French. These things are not worth over-estimation, dear Moggs, seeing the task was one of pleasure; in the matter of drawing, especially, for I have perhaps a gift that way; and I believe, do most earnestly believe, that where God has so largely endowed us with a rich and perfect faculty, it is our duty, our richest, our most religious duty, to endeavour to impart to others less endowed as much benefit from such faculty as we mnay."

"Yes," said the poor lowly shopwoman, laying her lips down on the dear young forehead as she spoke," it is just such a Christian thought as you would have, my dear one. It is Christ's law active, giving of our overplus to our weaker, poorer, brother. And may He in his good time give to all his gifted creatures impulses like these, and we shall have nothing to fear either for Christianity or for man."

And then she laid her face closer to that young forehead, as though her humble spirit prayed.

It was Lucy who spoke first, and who raised up her earnest face; so earnest that Miss Moggs had never seen it look thus before.

"Dear friend," she said, "you can hardly fancy what I would do if I had but the power. Oh, yes! I sometimes think if dear old uncle

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Richard would but return from sea, so that I had less care for myself and Franny, less toil for mere bread alone, that I would strive to do much that was new for art! Oh! yes I would, so that all of our sex that had a taste might find easy means of cultivation, if only for the sake of its own moral and refining influence. Oh! yes I would-but the saddest part of poverty is, that it too often robs talent of its richest fruit."

She sighed, and Miss Moggs sighed. Miss Moggs was poor, for she had an aged mother depending on her for support; and Lucy was poor, for she had much to do with her narrow income, and could but cleave to all the habits and duties of a gentlewoman.

But in a few minutes Miss Moggs was her old cheerful self again. "Come, come, this will never do," she said, "I have not yet told you my errand, or delivered my message. The truth is, Mr. Bowyer came up unexpectedly to town this afternoon, to see Mr. Fletcher, our Spitalfields manufacturer, about a further design for the Exhibition silks; but though-"

"I thought that business had been already settled," interrupted Lucy.

"Yes, it was, before Mr. Bowyer went back to Margate on Thursday; and as I sent you word, Mr. Fletcher had accepted and greatly praised your design; but the truth is, I think that Mr. Bowyer received one unexpectedly this morning by post, and so came up to town at once about it. He did not say who supplied it, but I fancy it was some one whom he met at a dinner at the London Tavern a few weeks ago, and with whom, I heard him tell Mr. Fletcher, he had had a most remarkable conversation as to the relation of art to British manufactures. It was this conversation, I fancy, that led Mr. Bowyer to suddenly change his opinions with respect to the practicability of the Exhibition, and to come forward with so magnificent a subscription as he did. As to this design, if it work well in the mise en carte, it will rival anything that the Lyonnese can produce. It will be a raised pattern in silver pile upon a rich dead white-corded sarsnet, and is to be called The Silver Wedding Silk.' Of course it will be costly, but beautiful in the extreme."

"It will, indeed," replied Lucy, "if Mr. Fletcher praises the design thus, for I consider his taste of a very first-rate kind. But I am going to see if I cannot produce some art-designs for the Exhibition. Hitherto I have only had two purposes in all the artistic work I have done, that is, self-improvement, and painting little pictures for dear old uncle Richard against he should return. But that hope seems dead; and therefore now our dearest, only friend seems lost to us forever-for we must expect nothing from our worldly uncle John-I must, I feel, turn my talent to a practical end, if only for dear Franny's sake, whose prospects in life rest on me and my endeavours. Indeed I think, so far from being unhappy, I shall reap much from making my love of art serve a strictly practical end."

"I think so, my dear," said Miss Moggs,

"for it is one of the most religious ends of beauty thus to bring it down to the lowly purposes of common life. But as for pecuniary imeans, iny dear, I think I have some good news to tell you. Mr. Bowyer said to me this very day in the counting-house-for mine has been a long service, and eight-and-twenty years has earned his confidence-that your salary is going to be raised; for he thoroughly estimates all you have done for his three young daughters. Indeed he told me, with tears in his eyes, that many notice their lady-like manners and solid improvement, and that such is the pride of his heart. And indeed from what he said indirectly of their mother, I think improvement is taking place with her too, as she wants you to pay them a visit at the end of next week; and you know, dear, there was a time when she dreaded what she calls gentility,' whilst at the sea-side. She liked to bathe, and eat shrimps, and ride donkeys, without too nice observance. But you'll find her note in the basket."

Lucy was about to rise, but Miss Moggs restrained her. "I have something to say to you, something to give you, something And here good plain Miss Moggs hesitated, and, much to Lucy's surprise, could say no more.

At length she pulled a soft, long parcel from her pocket, unpinned two pins at either end, and opening it, there lay a little pile of exquisitely-worked cambric pocket-handkerchiefs — perfect gems in their way.

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Pray, pray," faltered Miss Moggs, striving to make a formal speech, but failing terribly, 'please, Miss Bassett, accept these pockethandkerchiefs as the humble offering of Sarah Moggs and the eight-and-thirty young women employed by Mr. Bowyer, the large silk-mercer and linen-draper of St. Paul's Church-yard, for your goodness to them through the evenings of two successive winters, whereby they are greatly improved both in accomplishments and general knowledge. They wish it were a better giftbut as the needle-work is their own, you will perhaps, for that reason, estimate it as though it were worthier."

This was a grand speech for poor Miss Moggs, and she could proceed no further.

Already did the young girl kneel at her feet, already had she burst into tears, already had she strived to speak, but could not; and Miss Moggs crying too, and willing to restrain Lucy's faltering words, raised her up, folded her in her arms, kissed her tenderly, and then leaving her, glided from the room, before Lucy was aware of her intention. She ran down stairs to call her back, to pour forth her grateful thanks— but Miss Moggs was gone.

Of course such tears as those of happiness are soon dried. When this was so, Mary came up-stairs to admire the pocket-handkerchiefs, and to help to unpack the basket—a very store of riches in itself. For at the top were letters, next a very wilderness of roses and geraniums, then some choice fruit, then beneath thick leaves fine Pegwell Bay shrimps and prawns fresh that