the little lass as well. Lonesome!--they don't know thee, Lord, and they
don't know me. Thou'rt here, with the little lass and me. Yes,
yes,--yes."

He murmured the word "yes" in a tone of contentment over and over again,
until, the pipe being finished, he prepared for sleep also. But no sleep
came to the old man. He was too full of thought, and too fearful of the
child waking in the night and wanting something. The air was close and
hot, and now and then a peal of thunder broke overhead; but a profound
peace and tranquillity, slightly troubled by his new joy, held possession
of him. His grandchild was there, and his daughter was coming back to him
in three days.

Oh, how he would welcome her! He would not let her speak one word of her
wilfulness and disobedience, and the long, cruel neglect which had left
him in ignorance of where she lived, and what had become of her. It was
partly his fault, for having been too hard upon her, and too hasty and
hot-tempered. He had learnt better since then.




CHAPTER IV.

OLD OLIVER'S MASTER.


Very early in the morning, before the tardy daylight could creep into the
darkened room, old Oliver was up and busy. He had been in the habit of
doing for himself, as he called it, ever since his daughter had forsaken