“‘Mamma,’ said she, ’is it not right I should bear something for Arnauld?  I thought you would be so angry with him.’

“‘More angry than he deserves?’ said I.

“’No, mamma; but I thought he would feel it so much:  and even if you were as angry with me, and punished me as severely as you would have chastised him, I should have felt that I did not deserve it.’’

“‘And that, on the contrary, you were very generous?’

“‘Yes, mamma.’

“’Then Arnauld would have escaped altogether, and you would have borne any pain like a martyr?’

“‘But would not Arnauld have loved me for it?’

“‘I do not know, Clemence,’ said I, ’He knew, when he did the mischief, that I would be displeased, and it is just and right that he should take the consequences.  A noble soul feels a certain satisfaction in bearing deserved punishment, but it can never rejoice in the punishment of another for its fault.  I know you meant kindly; but, my love, you should make no unnecessary sacrifices.  Providence will bring to you many opportunities of giving up your wishes, and of bearing a great deal for others, but it must never be done at the sacrifice of truth.’

“Clemence was much impressed with what I said to her; and Arnauld, too, seemed to feel that it would have been mean to have taken advantage of his sister’s mistaken generosity.  I labour to make them think for themselves, for I often fear that my life will not be spared to guide them much longer.  When you come again to France, bring with you your little girls.  I have spoken to my children about them, and they are eager to become acquainted with them.”

At the end of this letter was written, in Mr. Hogarth’s hand-writing, “Died, October 14th, 18-,” shortly after the date of the letter.

“I wish,” said Jane, “that my uncle had shown me these letters; but I suppose there are some things that one cannot tell to another person.”

“There is no encouragement here to induce me to make inquiries about my mother,” said Francis.  “I think, for the present, I will let the matter rest.”

Chapter VII.

Up And Down

When Jane had spoken of 20,000 pounds each, as the probable fortune of herself and her sister, if their uncle had made his will in their favour, she rather under than over estimated the value of Mr. Hogarth’s property.  She had expected that many legacies to old servants and bequests to several charitable institutions might have been left, and there still would have been that handsome sum for his adopted children.  Francis Hogarth found that he had come into possession of a compact little estate in a very fine part of the country, a small part of which estate had been farmed by the proprietor, who had tried various experiments on it with various success.  There was also money invested in the funds, and money laid out in railway shares, as well as a considerable sum in the bank for any present necessity, or to be spent in the improvement of the property.