‘Oh, poor Kalliope!  And we never heard of it!’

’I did feel broken down when the letter to Miss Merrifield came back,’ said Kalliope.  ’But my father had made me write to Mr. James White—–­not that we had any idea that he had grown so rich.  He and my father were first cousins, sons of two brothers who were builders; but there was some dispute, and it ended by my father going away and enlisting.  There was nobody nearer to him, and he never heard any more of his home; but when he was so ill, he thought he would like to be reconciled to “Jem,” as he said, so he made me write from his dictation.  Such a beautiful letter it was, and he added a line at the end himself.  Then at last, when it was almost too late, Mr. White answered.  I believe it was a mere chance—–­or rather Providence—–­that he ever knew it was meant for him, but there were kind words enough to cheer up my father at the last.  I believe then the clergyman wrote to him.’

‘Did not he come near you?’

’No, I have never seen him; but there was a correspondence between him and Mr. Moore, the clergyman, and Richard, and he said he was willing to put us in the way of working for ourselves, if—–­if—–­we were not too proud.’

‘Then he did it in an unkind way,’ said Gillian.

’I try to think he did not mean to be otherwise than good to us.  I told Mr. Moore that I was not fit to be a governess, and I did not think they could get on without me at home, but that I could draw better than I would do anything else, and perhaps I might get Christmas cards to do, or something like that.  Mr. Moore sent a card or two of my designing, and then Mr. White said he could find work for me in the mosaic department here; and something for my brothers, if we did not give ourselves airs.  So we came.’

‘Not Richard?’ said Gillian, who remembered dimly that Richard had not been held in great esteem by her own brothers.

’No; Richard is in a good situation, so it was settled that he should stay on there.’

‘And you—–­’

’I am in the mosaic department.  Oh, Miss Gillian, I am so grateful to Miss Merrifield.  Don’t you remember her looking at my little attempts, and persuading Lady Merrifield to get mother to let me go to the School of Art?  I began only as the girls do who are mere hands, and now I have to prepare all the designs for them, and have a nice little office of my own for it.  Sometimes I get one of my own designs taken, and then I am paid extra.’

‘Then do you maintain them all?’

‘Oh no; we have lodgers, the organist and his wife,’ said Kalliope, laughing, ’and Alexis is in the telegraph office, at the works; besides, it turned out that this house and two more belong to us, and we do very well when the tenants pay their rents.’

‘But Maura is not the youngest of you,’ said Gillian, who was rather hazy about the family.

’No, there are the two little boys.  We let them go to the National School for the present.  It is a great trial to my poor mother, but they do learn well there, and we may be able to do something better for them by the time they are old enough for further education.’