“I am not sure yet,” he answered. “But I believe it to be the production of a poor girl, whom I found sewing in a bindery for four dollars a week, and yet a complete mistress of five different languages—perhaps more. I see her initials, ‘H. B.’, in one corner of the sketch.”
“How old is this wonderful girl?” asked the lady, with an air of sudden interest.
“She may be twenty or even one or two years older. Not under eighteen, at any rate,” replied the old gentleman.
“Too old!” sighed the lady to herself, in a sad whisper.
What she meant we cannot know. Her brother-in-law did not hear her, or only the sigh, if he did, and he continued:
“I got the girl promoted as a reader and collator, and now they give her ten dollars a week for work on just such jobs as this—arranging and preparing choice old works like these. W—— had quite a lot on hand which he could do nothing with until the talent and education of this girl came into notice almost by accident. She is a wonder. Louisa—you are childless—I do wish you would adopt that girl. She is lovely as a picture.”
Tears came into the hazel eyes of the lady as she said:
“I fear my heart would not go out to a stranger!”
“You could not help liking this girl. She is so modest and unobtrusive. Her employer, and the foreman, under whom she has worked for over two years, speak in the highest terms of her. She makes no associates, and for a wonder no enemies, though she shuns all acquaintance.”
“We shall have to go and see this wonderful girl, Aunt Louisa,” said Lizzie, rather petulantly. “Papa is quite carried away with her. He could talk of nothing else when he came home to lunch on the day he discovered her.”