was a good, kind-hearted person, still she had her fancies, and she
kept her young grand-daughter like some small jewel, as a thing to be
folded up in a case, and never trusted in common. She was afraid to
allow her to go about the village, or into the school and cottages,
always fancying she might be made ill, or meet with some harm; but
Mrs. King being an old servant, whom she knew so well, and the way
lying across only two meadows beyond Friarswood Park, the little pet
was allowed to go so far to visit her foster-mother, and bring
whatever she could devise to cheer the poor sick boy.

Miss Jane, though of the same age as Ellen, and of course with a
great deal more learning and accomplishment, had been so little used
to help herself, or to manage anything, that she was like one much
younger. The sight of the rough stranger on the bridge was really
startling to her, and she came across the road and garden as fast as
she could without a run; and the first thing the brother and sister
heard, was her voice saying rather out of breath and fluttered, 'Oh,
what a horrid-looking boy!'

Seeing that Mrs. King was serving some one in the shop, she only
nodded to her, and came straight upstairs. Alfred raised up his
head, and beheld the little fairy through the open door, first the
head, and the smiling little face and slight figure in the fresh
summer dress.

Miss Jane was not thought very pretty by strangers; but that dainty
little person, and sweet sunny eyes and merry smile, and shy, kind,
gracious ways, were perfect in the eyes of her grandmamma and of Mrs.
King and her children, if of nobody else. Alfred, in his present
dismal state, only felt vexed at a fresh person coming up to worry