at the corner, and as she went down the dreary street carrying a big bunch
of flowers from the old garden, she might have come straight from Arcady,
so bright her face was. Mrs. M'Alister was watching for her from the
window with the boys, and they were all at the door to meet her.

"My dear, I was getting anxious about you," said Mrs. M'Alister, as they
went into the sitting-room, Rhoda holding little Willie in her arms. "You
are much later than you expected."

"Miss Merivale begged me to stay. Oh, Aunt Mary, she has been so kind! But
I will tell you all about it presently. How tired you look, Aunt Mary!
Jack and Willie, I hope you have been good?"

"They have been very good," said Mrs. M'Alister hastily. "I have been
trying to get my work finished. Give me your hat and jacket, darling; Jack
shall take them upstairs for you. You have had a long day. How beautiful
those flowers are! They scent the room already. English flowers are
sweeter than our flowers used to be. But we had a lovely garden, hadn't
we?" She was speaking very nervously, and she kissed Rhoda again as she
took her hat and jacket from her. "I am so glad Miss Merivale was so kind,
dear."

"Oh, she was wonderfully kind. And she has given me some more programmes
to do. I am to take them to her on Thursday."

"That will be another nice change for you, dear. You look all the better
for a breath of country air," was Mrs. M'Alister's nervously-spoken
answer.

"Uncle James says we are all to live in the country with him," broke in