Another knowledge was coming to Stella—the knowledge of the real worth of the money that she had been early tutored to think of first importance. She began to see that riches alone could not bring happiness, and to understand that there is a greater blessing in life than money and the power it brings. "The blessing of the Lord it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it."
The little heiress was seeking that blessing, and unconsciously fitting herself for the responsibilities wealth brings in its train, choosing that good part which, as the Saviour said of her who meekly sat at His feet, "shall not be taken away from her."
And so the winter months slipped peacefully away, and spring was come with a wealth of golden daffodils in the meadows, and clumps of shy primroses in the hedgerows. With the advent of the flowers and the sunshine a change took place in the doctor's household. Mr. Gray purchased a share of a practice in London, and the children learnt, to their great astonishment, that their governess was shortly to be married to their father's assistant.
"But what shall we do without Miss Clarke?" Nellie asked her mother in bewilderment.
"Your father thinks of sending you all to school," Mrs. Knight answered, smiling at the little girl's rueful face.
"To school! Not to boarding-school?" cried the children in chorus.
"No, no, certainly not. He never thought of such a thing, I'm sure."
"I shall not mind going to school every day if I come home to sleep," Nellie remarked. "Shall you, Dora?"
"No, I think it will be rather fun!"
"School is nice in some ways," Stella said; "you know I used to go to a day-school in London. There were a lot of girls, and a few of them used to be friendly with me, but most of them were too big to notice me at all—except one, and she used to borrow all my money, and never return it!"