Early in the morning of the fourth day, a letter was brought to Mrs. Stanhope, containing an enclosure for the children.  The letter was from their mother.  She expressed her gratitude to Mrs. Stanhope for all her kindness, and for the pleasure the children had enjoyed at Rosemount.  Then followed apologies and regrets for the trouble and annoyance that the visit must have caused Mrs. Stanhope.  And Mrs. Stein closed by saying that they had too long trespassed on the indulgence of their kind hostess, and begged her to set a time when it would be convenient to her for them to take their leave.

The enclosure for the children contained three letters from their aunt.  Emma tore hers open first.  A banknote met her delighted eyes.  She ran out of the room, and called Fani.  “She has saved us!” she cried.  “Oh, isn’t aunty an angel from heaven!” Fani’s face shone with pleasure and surprise.  Emma thrust the money into his hand.

“Take it, and run to the fisherman’s.  I must read my letter”; and she ran off to the arbor.

After an affectionate greeting it ran thus;—­

“It is a crying shame, my dear girl, that this delightful visit, full of pleasures that may never fall to your lot again, should have been spoiled by each of you three children, only because of your disobedience.  Especially you and Oscar.  Your father and mother gave you both particular warning against what you were not to do.  You both set to work to see how you could manage to obey in all the trivial details, and yet carry out your own plans in essentials.  You both knew very well what you were about, and have well deserved the unpleasant consequences of your actions.  I trust that you have both received a lasting lesson.  How much worse the results might have been, dear Emma, we do not dare to think.  We can only guess, though you do not tell us that you had a very narrow escape.  We trust that you will show your gratitude to God for it by never again straying into forbidden paths.  I send you the money you asked for, in order to spare Mrs. Stanhope any trouble about it.  Fani showed a proper sense of his own folly and of his obligations to her when he said he would make any sacrifice rather than ask her for it.  I do not lend you the money.  It is a gift.  But do not run in debt again.  Another time I might not be able to help you.  We shall all be glad to see you at home again.”

In her letter to Oscar, aunty wrote that he deserved a much worse punishment than he had received, for his wilful misinterpretation of his father’s warning, obeying the letter, rather than the spirit, and for his obstinacy about the motto.  The letter then continued:—­