did for her was the fruit of self-denial.  Innumerable were the kindnesses which they performed unknown to any but the widow and her child.  More, by a hundred times, did they assist her, than the thoughtless girls who had occasioned her sufferings, though Lily was not the only one who felt that nothing was too much for them to do.  Nothing, perhaps, would have been too much, except to bear her in mind and steadily aid her in little things; but Lily took no account of little things, talked away her feelings, and thus all her grand resolutions produced almost nothing.  Lord Rotherwood sent Mrs. Eden a sovereign, the girls newly clothed little Agnes, Phyllis sometimes carried her the scraps of her dinner, Mrs. Eden once came to work at the New Court, and a few messes of broth were given to her, but in general she was forgotten, and when remembered, indolence or carelessness too often prevented the Miss Mohuns from helping her.  In Emily’s favourite phrase, each individual thing was ‘not worth while.’

When Lilias did think it ‘worth while,’ she would do a great deal upon impulse, sometimes with more zeal than discretion, as she proved by an expedition which she took on Christmas Eve.  Mr. Mohun did not allow the poor of the village to depend entirely on the gooding for their Christmas dinner, but on the 24th of December a large mess of excellent beef broth was prepared at the New Court, and distributed to all his own labourers, and the most respectable of the other cottagers.

In the course of the afternoon Lily found that one portion had not been given out.  It was that which was intended for the Martins, a poor old rheumatic couple, who lived at South End, the most distant part of the parish.  Neither of them could walk as far as the New Court, and most of their neighbours had followed Farmer Gage, and had therefore been excluded from the distribution, so that there was no one to send.  Lily, therefore, resolved herself to carry the broth to them, if she could find an escort, which was not an easy matter, as the frost had that morning broken up, and a good deal of snow and rain had been falling in the course of the day.  In the hall she met Reginald, just turned out of Maurice’s workshop, and much at a loss for employment.

‘Redgie,’ said she, ‘you can do me a great kindness.’

‘If it is not a bore,’ returned Reginald.

‘I only want you to walk with me to South End.’

‘Eh?’ said Reginald; ’I thought the little Misses were too delicate to put their dear little proboscises outside the door.’

’That is the reason I ask you; I do not think Emily or Jane would like it, and it is too far for Claude.  Those poor old Martins have not got their broth, and there is no one to fetch it for them.’

‘Then do not be half an hour putting on your things.’

’Thank you; and do not run off, and make me spend an hour in hunting for you, and then say that I made you wait.’