"I mean，on the contrary，to be busy."

"Jane，I excuse you for the present: two months" grace I allow you for the full enjoyment of your new position，and for pleasing yourself with this late-found charm of relationship; but then，I hope you will begin to look beyond Moor House and Morton，and sisterly society，and the selfish calm and sensual fort of civilised affluence. I hope your energies will then once more trouble you with their strength."

I looked at him with surprise. "St. John," I said，"I think you are almost wicked to talk so. I am disposed to be as content as a queen，and you try to stir me up to restlessness! To what end?"

"To the end of turning to profit the talents which God has mitted to your keeping; and of which He will surely one day demand a strict account. Jane，I shall watch you closely and anxiously- I warn you of that. And try to restrain the disproportionate fervour with which you throw yourself into monplace home pleasures. Don"t cling so tenaciously to ties of the flesh; save your constancy and ardour for an adequate cause; forbear to waste them on trite transient objects. Do you hear，Jane?"

"Yes; just as if you were speaking Greek. I feel I have adequate cause to be happy，and I will be happy. Good-bye!"

Happy at Moor House I was，and hard I worked; and so did Hannah: she was charmed to see how jovial I could be amidst the bustle of a house turned topsy-turvy- how I could brush，and dust，and clean，and cook. And really，after a day or two of confusion worse confounded，it was delightful by degrees to invoke order from the to purchase some new furniture: my cousins having given me carte blanche to effect what alterations I pleased，and a sum having been set aside for that purpose. The ordinary sitting-room and bedrooms I left much as they were: for I knew Diana and Mary would derive more pleasure from seeing again the old homely tables，and chairs，and beds，than from the spectacle of the smartest innovations. Still some novelty was necessary，to give to their return the piquancy with which I wished it to be invested. Dark handsome new carpets and curtains，an arrangement of some carefully selected antique ornaments in porcelain and bronze，new coverings，and mirrors，and dressing-cases，for the toilet-tables，answered the end: they looked fresh without being glaring. A spare parlour and bedroom I refurnished entirely，with old mahogany and crimson upholstery: I laid canvas on the passage，and carpets on the stairs. When all was finished，I thought Moor House as plete a model of bright modest snugness within，as it was，at this season，a specimen of wintry waste and desert dreariness without.

The eventful Thursday at length came. They were expected about dark，and ere dusk fires were lit upstairs and below; the kitchen was in perfect trim; Hannah and I were dressed，and all was in readiness.