Page:A New England Tale.djvu/243

232 shall go immediately, end I shall charge him to deliver the money himself. It will be such a relief and comfort to my unfortunate brother."

There seemed to be something in Elvira's eagerness to serve her brother, and in her newly awakened tenderness for him, that excited Jane's suspicions; for she paused in the midst of counting the money, turned round, and fixed a penetrating look upon her cousin. Elvira, without appearing to notice any thing peculiar in her expression, said, (advancing towards her,) "Do be quick, dear Jane; it is a great way to Mr. Harris's; I am afraid I shall be late."

Jane had finished counting the money.

"Twenty dollars, is it, dear?" said Elvira, hastily and with a flutter of joy seizing it. "There are five dollars more," she continued, looking at a single bill Jane had laid aside; "let me have that too, dear; it will not be too much for David."

"I cannot," replied Jane; "that is all I have in the world, and that I owe to Mrs. Harvey."

"La, Jane! what matter is that; you can have as much money as you want of Erskine; and besides, you need not be afraid of losing it; I shall soon be of age, and then I shall pay you, for mother can't keep my portion from me one day after that. Then I will have a cottage. Lavoisier says, we can have no idea, in this country, how beautiful, a cottage is, à la Française. Do, dearest, let me have the other five."

"No," said Jane, disgusted with Elvira's importunity and levity, and replacing the note in her