in gaiety of dress, wore a light pink jacket,
ornamented down the bosom and over the
sleeves with bows of white satin ribbon.
Laburnum blossoms, gathered that morning,
lay scattered about over the white counterpane,
intermixed with some flowers of the
Lily of the Valley, tied up into two nosegays
with strips of cherry-coloured ribbon.
Over this varied assemblage of colours, over
the baby's ruddy cheeks and arms, over his
mother's happy, youthful face, the tender light
of the May evening poured tranquil and warm.
Thoroughly appreciating the charm of the
picture which he had disclosed on undrawing
the curtains, the doctor stood looking at it
for a few moments, quite forgetful of the
errand that had brought him into the room.
He was only recalled to a remembrance of
the new nurse by a chance question which
Mrs. Frankland addressed to him.

"I can't help it, doctor," said Rosamond,
with a look of apology. "I really can't help
treating my baby, now I am a grown woman,
just as I used to treat my doll when I was
a little girl. Did anybody come into the
room with you? Lenny, are you there?
Have you done dinner, darling, and did you
drink my health when you were left at
dessert all by yourself?"

"Mr. Frankland is still at dinner," said the
doctor. "But I certainly brought some one
into the room with me. Where in the name
of wonder has she gone to? —Mrs. Jazeph!"

The housekeeper had slipped round to the
part of the room between the foot of the
bed and the fire-place, where she was hidden
by the curtains that still remained drawn.
When Mr. Orridge called to her, instead of
joining him where he stood, opposite the
window, she appeared at the other side of
the bed, where the window was behind her.
Her shadow stole darkly over the bright
picture which the doctor had been admiring. It
stretched obliquely across the counterpane,
and its dusky edges touched the figures of
the mother and child.

"Gracious goodness! who are you?"
exclaimed Rosamond, "A woman, or a ghost?"

Mrs. Jazeph's veil was up at last.
Although her face was necessarily in shadow
in the position which she had chosen to
occupy, the doctor saw a change pass over
it when Mrs. Frankland spoke. The lips
dropped and quivered a little; the marks of
care and age, about the mouth, deepened;
and the eyebrows contracted suddenly. The
eyes Mr. Orridge could not see; they were
cast down on the counterpane at the first
word that Rosamond uttered. Judging by
the light of his medical experience, the
doctor concluded that she was suffering pain,
and trying to suppress any outward manifestation
of it. "An affection of the heart, most
likely," he thought to himself. "She has
concealed it from her mistress, but she can't
hide it from me."

"Who are you?" repeated Rosamond.

"And what in the world do you stand there
for, — between us and the sunlight?"

Mrs. Jazeph neither answered nor raised
her eyes. She only moved back timidly to
the farthest corner of the window.

"Did you not get a message from me this
afternoon?" asked the doctor, appealing to
Mrs. Frankland.

"To be sure I did," replied Rosamond.
"A very kind, flattering message about a
new nurse."

"There she is," said Mr. Orridge, pointing
across the bed to Mrs. Jazeph.

"You don't say so!" exclaimed Rosamond.
" But of course it must be. Who else
could have come in with you? I ought to
have known that. Pray come here —(what is
her name, doctor? Joseph, did you say?—
No? —Jazeph?) -- pray come nearer, Mrs.
Jazeph, and let me apologise for speaking so
abruptly to you. I am more obliged than I
can say, for your kindness in coming here,
and for your mistress's good-nature in
resigning you to me. I hope I shall not give
you much trouble, and I am sure you will
find the baby easy to manage. He is a
perfect angel, and sleeps like a dormouse. Dear
me! now I look at you a little closer, I am
afraid you are in very delicate health, yourself.
Doctor! if Mrs. Jazeph would not be offended
with me, I should almost feel inclined to
say that she looks in want of nursing,
herself."

Mrs. Jazeph bent down over the laburnum
blossoms on the bed, and began hurriedly
and confusedly to gather them together.

"I thought as you do, Mrs. Frankland,"
said Mr, Orridge. " But I have been assured
that Mrs. Jazeph's looks belie her, and that
her capabilities, as a nurse, quite equal
her zeal."

"Are you going to make all that laburnum
into a nosegay?" asked Mrs. Frankland,
noticing how the new nurse was
occupying herself. "How thoughtful of you!
and how magnificent it will be! I am afraid
you will find the room very untidy. I will
ring for my maid to set it to rights."

"If you will allow me to put it in order,
ma'am, I shall be very glad to begin being of
use to you in that way," said Mrs. Jazeph.
When she made the offer, she looked up; and
her eyes and Mrs. Frankland's met.
Rosamond instantly drew back on the pillow, and
her colour altered a little.

"How strangely you look at me!" she
said.

Mrs. Jazeph started at the words, as if
something had struck her, and moved away
suddenly to the window.

"You are not offended with me, I hope?"
said Rosamond, noticing the action. "I have
a sad habit of saying anything that comes
uppermost. And I really thought you looked
just now as if you saw something about me
that frightened or grieved you. Pray put the
room in order, if you are kindly willing to