But, as weeks went on, the perpetual, unceasing strain began to wear upon her, and her songs grew less and less frequent.  Though she was almost too busy to indulge in many longings for Ashleigh and its pleasant fields, it was a little hard to know that the beautiful budding spring was passing into summer, and that she could taste none of the country pleasures she had so much enjoyed last year; that the only sign by which she knew the advancement of the season was the increasing heat, enervating her frame and undermining her strength,—­its effect in this respect being greatly heightened by the close, heavy atmosphere in which she chiefly lived.  Nature is stronger than man, after all; and when the upper classes selfishly neglect the comfort of their poorer brethren, they will find that inexorable Nature will avenge the infringement of her laws, and will touch their own interests in so doing.

“I can’t think what has come over Nelly!” Mrs. Williams would say to her daughter.  “She’s not the same girl she was when she came here, and she seems to grow lazier every day.  Well, it’s the way with them all.  A new broom sweeps clean.”

But Mrs. Williams might easily have found a truer explanation of Nelly’s failing energies than this convenient proverb, in the unwholesome atmosphere she was breathing by night and day, as well as in the quantity and quality of the food provided for her.  Mrs. Williams would have indignantly repelled the charge of starving Nelly, but she forgot the requirements of a fast-growing girl.  Everything eatable was kept rigidly locked up,—­that was a fundamental principle of Mrs. Williams’ housekeeping,—­and Nelly’s allowance was sometimes so scanty, and at other times composed of such an uninviting collection of scraps, that she often had not sufficient nourishment to repair the waste of strength which she was continually undergoing.  And as she would rather suffer than ask more, her constitution was really giving way for want of sufficient sustenance.

So two or three months passed, and she had not yet seen Lucy.  She had only, indeed, been two or three times at church, for Mrs. Williams never seemed to remember that her little servant had an immortal soul to be nourished, though it must be admitted that she was not much more mindful of her own spiritual welfare.  As for getting out on week-days, except on her mistress’s errands, Mrs. Williams seemed to consider that quite out of the question; and, indeed, Nelly could not easily have found leisure for half-an-hour’s absence.  One evening, at last, when most of the boarders were dining out, Mrs. Williams graciously acceded to Nelly’s request to be allowed to go out for an hour; “but don’t stay a minute longer,” she added.  Nelly had carefully kept Lucy’s address, and gladly set off, as fast as she could walk, towards the quarter of the city in which she knew it to be.  She steered her course pretty straight, but had walked for fully half-an-hour before she reached the door, on the brass plate of which she read “B.  Brooke.”