"This," said Alice, when they came out, "between my door and the fireplace, is a cupboard. Here be cups and saucers, and so forth. In that other corner beyond the fireplace you see my flower-stand. Do you love flowers, Ellen?"
"I have some pretty ones out yet, and shall have one or two in the winter; but I can't keep a great many here; I haven't room for them. I have hard work to save these from frost. There's a beautiful daphne that will be out by-and-by, and make the whole house sweet. But here, Ellen, on this side, between the windows, is my greatest treasure my precious books. All these are mine. Now, my dear, it is time to introduce you to my most excellent of easy-chairs the best things in the room, aren't they? Put yourself in that; now do you feel at home?"
"Very much indeed, Maam," said Ellen, laughing, as Alice placed her in the deep easy-chair.
There were two things in the room that Alice had not mentioned; and while she mended the fire, Ellen looked at them. One was the portrait of a gentleman, grave and good- looking; this had very little of her attention. The other was the counter-portrait of a lady; a fine, dignified countenance that had a charm for Ellen. It hung over the fireplace in an excellent light; and the mild eye, and somewhat of a peculiar expression about the mouth, bore such likeness to Alice, though older, that Ellen had no doubt whose it was.
Alice presently drew a chair close to Ellen's side, and kissed her.
"I trust, my child," she said, "that you feel better to-day than you did yesterday?"
"Oh, I do, Maam a great deal better," Ellen answered.
"Then I hope the reason is that you have returned to your duty, and are resolved not to be a Christian by-and-by, but to lead a Christian's life now?"
"I have resolved so, Maam I did resolve so last night and this morning; but yet I have been doing nothing but wrong all to-day."
Alice was silent. Ellen's lips quivered for a moment, and then she went on
"Oh, Maam, how I have wanted to see you to-day to tell me what I _should_ do! I resolved and resolved this morning; and then, as soon as I got down-stairs, I began to have bad feelings towards Aunt Fortune, and I have been full of bad feelings all day; and I couldn't help it."