while on the other hand, though Eleanor liked to hunt up cheap things and good bargains, she had such rigid ideas about plainness of dress, that there was little chance that what she approved would satisfy Emily.

CHAPTER XXI.

CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME.

"Suddenly, a mighty jerk
A mighty mischief did."

In the mean time, Emily and Jane went on very prosperously at home, looking forward to the return of the rest of the party, on Saturday, the 17th of July. In this, however, they were doomed to disappointment, for neither Mr. Mohun nor Mr. Hawkesworth could wind up their affairs so as to return before the 24th. Maurice's holidays commenced on Monday, the 19th, and Claude offered to go home on the same day, and meet him, but in a general council it was determined to the contrary. Claude was wanted to stay for a concert on Thursday, and both Mr. Mohun and Eleanor thought Maurice without Reginald would not be formidable for a few days.

At first, he seemed to justify this opinion. He did not appear to have any peculiar pursuit, unless such might be called a very earnest attempt to make Phyllis desist from her favourite preface of "I'll

tell you what," and to reform her habit of saying, "Please for," instead of "If you please." He walked with the sisters, carried messages for Mr. Devereux, performed some neat little bits of carpentry, and was very useful and agreeable.

On Wednesday afternoon, Lord Rotherwood and Florence called, their heads the more full of the 30th because the Marquis had not once thought of it while Mr. Devereux was ill. Among the intended diversions, fireworks were mentioned, and from that moment, rockets, wheels, and serpents, commenced a wild career through Maurice's brain. Through the whole evening he searched for books on what he was pleased to call the art of Pyrotechnics, studied them all Wednesday, and the next morning announced his intention of making some fireworks on a new plan.

"No, you must not," said Emily, "you will be sure to do mischief."

"I am going to ask Wat for some powder," was Maurice's reply, and he walked off.

"Stop him, Jane, stop him,” cried Emily. "Nothing can be so dangerous. Tell him how angry Papa would be."

Though Jane highly esteemed her brother's discretion, she did not much like the idea of his touching powder, and she ran after him to suggest that he had better wait till Papa's return.

"Then Redgie will be at home," said Maurice, "and I could not be answerable for the consequence of such a careless fellow touching powder."

This great proof of caution quite satisfied Jane,

but not so Wat Greenwood, who proved himself a faithful servant, by refusing to let Master Maurice have one grain of gunpowder, without express leave from the squire. Maurice then had recourse to Jane, and his power over her, was such as to triumph over strong sense and weak notions of obedience, so that she was prevailed upon to supply him with the means of making the dangerous and forbidden purchase.

Emily was both annoyed and alarmed, when she found that the gunpowder was actually in the house, and she even thought of sending a note to the parsonage to beg Mr. Devereux to speak to Maurice; but Jane had gone over to the enemy, and Emily never could do anything unsupported. Besides, she neither liked to affront Maurice, nor to confess herself unable to keep him in order, and she therefore tried to put the whole matter out of her head in the thoughts of an expedition to Raynham, which she was about to make in the manner she best liked, with Jane in the close carriage, and the horses reluctantly spared from their farm work.

As they were turning the corner of the lane, they overtook Phyllis and Adeline, on their way to the school with some work, and Emily stopped the carriage, to desire them to send off a letter which she had left on the chimney-piece, in the school-room. Then proceeding to Raynham, they made their visits, paid Emily's debts, performed their commissions, and met the carriage again at the bookseller's shop, at the end of about two hours.

"Look here, Emily!" exclaimed Jane. "Read this! can it be Mrs. Aylmer ?"

"The truly charitable," said Emily, contemptuously. "Mrs. Aylmer is above-"

"But read. It says 'unbeneficed clergyman, and deceased nobleman,' and who can that be but uncle Rotherwood and Mr. Aylmer?"

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'Well, let us see," said Emily, "those things are always amusing."

It was an appeal to the "truly charitable," from the friends of the widow of an unbeneficed clergyman of the diocese, one of whose sons had, it was said, by the kindness of a deceased nobleman, received the promise of an appointment in India, of which he was unable to avail himself, for want of the funds needful for his outfit. This appeal was, it added, made without the knowledge of the afflicted lady, but further particulars might be learnt by application to E. F., No. 5, West Street, Raynham.

"E. F. is plainly that bustling, little, old Miss Fitchett, who wrote to Papa for some subscription," said Emily. "You know she is a regular beggar, always doing these kind of things, but I can never believe that Mrs. Aylmer would consent to appear in this manner."

"Ah! but it says without her knowledge," said Jane. "Don't you remember Rotherwood's lamenting that they were forgotten ?"

"Yes, it is shocking," said Emily, "the clergyman that married Papa and Mamma !”

"Ask Mr. Adams what he knows?" said Jane.

Emily accordingly applied to the bookseller, and learnt that Mrs. Aylmer was indeed the person in

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