CHAPTER VII.

LEFT ALONE.

Arthur had been very tired the night before; so that the spring sun was
shining quite brightly, when he found himself lying awake in his new room.
Indeed, he did not know whether he would have awaked even then, if he had
not heard a knocking at his door, and then a voice saying--

"If you please shall I light your fire?"

"No, thank you," said Arthur; and then to himself he added, "I'm not quite
such a muff as that!" Then he began to examine his room. "I wonder is this
going to be my room always!" thought Arthur. "'Tis much nicer than my room
at home, only I don't like it half so well; indeed, I don't."

It was a very pretty room certainly. The paper on the wall was bright and
soft-looking, with a pattern of bunches of spring flowers, tied with
silver ribbon. The carpet was something of the same sort, and it reminded
him of primroses hidden in the grass. The window-curtains were spotlessly
white, with green cords, and the chair-coverings were a soft green.

"Yes; it certainly is a very nice room," said Arthur to himself, after
looking round and examining everything; "but I think it is a great deal
more like a girl's room than a boy's. What can she think I want with such
a lot of looking-glasses? And I suppose she thinks I like reading and
writing very much;" for he saw that the book-shelves were well filled,
and that in the corner of the room there was a small table, where a
writing-case and inkstand stood. "Well, she may think so. I expect she
will soon find out her mistake."

Arthur was more cheerful this morning, than he had been the evening
before. It was natural to him to feel hopeful in the morning. He liked the
feeling of awaking in a strange place. At least he had always liked it
hitherto; though with the pleasant feeling of excitement and interest it
brought, there came a dreamy heart-sinking too; for he could not forget,
that this was to be no visit, but that he was to live on here for years
and years without his mother.

But the sun was shining very brightly into his room, and as he stood
waiting for some call downstairs; he thought he would like to see what
kind of surroundings belonged to his new home.

Very different was the view he now saw from the country that lay around
Ashton Grange. From the highest window there, the view extended over only
a few miles, and the green wooded hills that arose, not so very far off,
marked the horizon to the pretty country sc