dark eyes intently on the little grey ones opposite.

"And now, Madam, let me ask you the most important question of all. IS-SHE-HONEST?"

"As the day, Maʼam-you might trust her with untold goold!"

"Excuse me, Madam, but have you ever trusted her with it yourself?"

"Lord, Ma'am, scores and scores of times! She used to pay my bills, and always brought me the receipts as regular as clock-work."

"I am afraid, Madam, that circumstance is hardly decisive. Could she be trusted, do you think, in a house where there is a great deal of property-the mistress a little careless perhaps and gold and banknotes and loose change often lying about-to say nothing of the plate, and my own jewels?"

“All I can say is, Ma'am, I never missed any thing -never! And not for want of opportunity-there's that watch, Ma'am, over the fire-place, it's a gold one and a repeater, Ma'am; she might have took it over and over, and me no wiser, for I'm apt to be absent. Then as for plate there's always my best silver teapot in that corner cupboard-"

"That may be all very true, Madam, and yet not very satisfactory. It's the principle, Madam, it's the principle. Have you never found her making free with trifles-tea for instance, or your needles and pins?"

"Why, Ma'am, I can't say exactly, not having watched such trifles on purpose-but certainly I have not lost more that way than by servants in general.”

"Ah, there it is!" exclaimed the lady, casting up her hands and eyes. "Nobody thinks of crime in its infancy—as if it would not grow up like everything else! We begin with pins and needles, and get on to brooches and rings. You will excuse, Madam, my being so particular, but nobody has suffered so much by dishonesty. I have been stripped three times."

"You don't say so!" exclaimed Mrs. Dowdum, with a motion of her chair towards the other, which telegraphically hinted a wish to know all the particulars.

"It is too true, indeed,” said the lady, with a profound sigh, “and always by means of servants. The first time all my plate went-2000 ounces, Madam, with the family crest, a boar's head-Madam. Then they cleared off all the family linen, a beautiful stock,

Madam, just renewed; and the third time I lost all my ornaments, pearls, Madam, emeralds—topazes—and diamonds, Madam, the diamonds I went to Court in."

"It must have broke your heart, Ma'am," observed Mrs. Dowdum, finishing with a prolonged and peculiar clucking with her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"It nearly did, Madam," said the lady, pulling out her handkerchief. "Not for my losses, however, although they were sufficiently considerable-but for the degradation of human nature. A girl too, that I had brought up under my own eye, and had impressed, as I thought, with the strictest principles of honesty. Morning, noon, and night, I impressed upon her the same lesson,—whatever you do, I used to say, be honest. It's the fourth of the cardinal virtuesfaith, hope, charity, honesty."

"And the best policy besides," said Mrs. Dowdum. "The best policy, Madam !—the only policy, here or hereafter! It's one of the first principles of our nature, Madam. The very savages acknowledge it, and recognise the grand distinction of meum and tuum. As Doctor Watts finely says