'Yes, she did wrong,' said Alice, thoughtfully; but I am sure she was sorry before she died, and she must have wanted you so, her mother.'

I reckon she did,' said Mrs. Holmes, wiping her eyes. I've had many a soft thought about her; and only that she brought her father to the grave with grief I'd have perhaps made it up that last year: but I was busy in the summer changing houses, and in the autumn they sent me word she was dead. There was a baby, and I did offer to take that; but the man gave out as he would be obliged to none of us, and he left Manchester soon, and I lost sight of him.'

"Then you have a grandchild alive!' said Alice, in great astonishment; and you said you were all alone in the world. Oh, Mrs. Holmes, do get her here, it would make you so happy-a dear little baby!"

But Mrs. Holmes shook her head.

All that was eight or nine years ago, my dear, and I have lost sight of them, as I said. John Burton, that's my child's husband, went to London and took the little girl with him.'

'Oh, dear,' said Alice; to find as my little Bell.

he'll be as hard

But you'll try,

won't you, Mrs. Holmes? for think, if he should die there would be no one left to take care of your little grandchild. Don't you know her name?'

'No,' said Mrs. Holmes; they wouldn't call her Mary Ann after me, I reckon. My girl used to say, years ago, if ever she married and had a little girl she would call it after her young mistress, that she was so fond of. But that was a fancy, I dare say.'

"What was her young mistress's name?' said Alice.

'Mabel-Miss Mabel Fitzpatrick,' said Mrs. Holmes. Some one told me they were good to my child after she married-when she died, I mean.'

And you have never seen them, spoken to them, asked them about her ?' said Alice, with all the quick feeling of a child. Oh, Mrs. Holmes, do write and ask them about her and the baby.'

We

and I will make a plan; you shall go looking for your daughter's child, and I will try and find out about our little Bell. I have not sealed my letter yet, so I will put a postscript in to ask father's leave. could go over to Manchester, you know, and see your Inspector: and then there are the registers, and perhaps the clergyman himself might know something, though it is such a large place.'

'Why, my dear,' said Mrs. Holmes, 'you are thinking just of little Moor, where every one knows every one else! But never mind, I won't discourage you. What makes you so anxious, though, to find this little girl's relations?'

Because,' said Alice, gravely, 'she is with a bad man who does not care for her, and we think she does not belong to him at all; so if we could find out her very own relations, perhaps they would take her from him, or give us leave to take her. She is such a dear little girl, Mrs. Holmes, but she knows nothing good; father says she is as ignorant as any little heathen: we tried to teach her something, but she was only ten days at Moor.'

It was a meek, modest little request that Alice made to her father, to let her go to look for Bell in Manchester; very different to the way in which she used to urge a pet project on him: but Alice had begun to feel that her plans were not always sure of success, and though this one seemed promising, yet she resolved to be gentle and patient if it did not meet with approval. Father will find some other way, she thought, if this will not do. Still the hopeful little girl went to bed with a dream all ready made of Mrs. Holmes and herself searching in Manchester streets, and finding not only the lost grandchild, but a home and relatives for little Bell.

CHAPTER XIV.

MR. SWAYNE's answer to Alice's letter was neither yes nor no; he had smiled to himself over the slight grounds his little girl had for expecting success in her search for Bell's relatives, but he wrote, "Wait, Manchester is too far off for you to visit in a day; by-and-bye, when Gilbert joins you, I will get Mrs. Holmes to take you both there, and then you can stay a night and see all there is to be seen.'

In spite of her resolutions, Alice sighed a little impatient sigh, and then the news of Gilbert's expected arrival diverted her attention. Yes, he was coming; his visit to his cousins was at an end, and Dr. Darell had advised his joining Alice at the sea, rather than returning at present to his tutor at Shockley. Alice was delighted; Gilbert would so enjoy Littleby; it would be so pleasant to go about with him, and she would be very careful not to vex him by taking too much upon herself.

Next day Gilbert arrived in great spirits, and now the days flew only too quickly. Such expeditions as were planned and executed! the crabs and shrimps had a poor time of it; and Helen, the maid, declared, with reproof in her tone, that Miss Alice had grown so brown she looked more like a fisher-girl than a young lady.

He

But Alice did not mind that. Only once did she have a dispute with Gilbert. wished her to come out with him in a fishing-boat to a certain island in the bay. Now this was a project after Alice's own heart, and she was sorely tempted. But the 'Lovely Maid' was a tiny craft, manned only by a certain Bill, of whose trustworthiness Mrs. Holmes was uncertain; so Alice suggested asking their father's leave first. Gilbert said that Alice had no spirit, and was nothing but a girl and a baby. Alice was angry, and answered hotly; she wished