“She is, Mr. Melleville.  Ah!  I only wish that I could look upon life as she does.  That I could see as clearly—­that I could gather, as she is gathering them in her daily walk, the riches that have no wings.”

“Thank God for such a treasure, Edward!  She is worth more than the wealth of the Indies.  With such an angel to walk by your side, you need feel no evil.”

“You will give me a situation, then, Mr. Melleville?”

“Yes, Edward,” replied the old man.

“Then I will notify Mr. Jasper this afternoon, and enter your service on the first of the coming month.  My heart is lighter already.  Good day.”

And Edward hurried off home.

During the afternoon he found no opportunity to speak to Mr. Jasper on the subject first in his thoughts, as that individual wished him to attend Mrs. Elder’s funeral, and gather for him all possible information about the child.  It was late when he came back from the burial-ground—­so late that he concluded not to return, on that evening, to the store.  In the carriage in which he rode, was the clergyman who officiated, and the orphan child who, though but half comprehending her loss, was yet overwhelmed with sorrow.  On their way back, the clergyman asked to be left at his own dwelling; and this was done.  Claire was then alone with the child, who shrank close to him in the carriage.  He did not speak to her; nor did she do more than lift, now and then, her large, soft, tear-suffused eyes to his face.

Arrived, at length, at the dwelling from which they had just borne forth the dead, Claire gently lifted out the child, and entered the house with her.  Two persons only were within, the domestic and the woman who, on the day previous, had spoken of taking to her own home the little orphaned one.  The former had on her shawl and bonnet, and said that she was about going away.

“You will not leave this child here alone,” said Edward.

“I will take her for the present,” spoke up the other.  “Would you like to go home with me, Fanny?” addressing the child.  “Come,”—­and she held out her hands.

But the child shrank closer to the side of Edward, and looked up into his face with a silent appeal that his heart could not resist.

“Thank you, ma’am,” he returned politely.  “But we won’t trouble you to do that.  I will take her to my own home for the present.  Would you like to go with me, dear?”

Fanny answered with a grateful look, as she lifted her beautiful eyes again to his face.

And so, after the woman and the domestic had departed, Edward Claire locked up the house, and taking the willing child by the hand, led her away to his own humble dwelling.

Having turned himself resolutely away from evil, already were the better impulses of his nature quickened into active life.  A beautiful humanity was rising up to fill the place so recently about to be consecrated to the worship of a hideous selfishness.