t evil, as you say yourself. But
well or ill, you canna do it, and it is foolish and wrong of you to vex
yourself more than is needful."

"But I do not, indeed. Just now it was her restless, aimless walking up
and down that vexed me. I am foolish, I suppose, but it always does."

"I daresay it may tell of an uneasy mind, whiles," said Mrs Snow,
gravely. "I mind you used to be given to it yourself in the old times,
when you werena at ease with yourself. But if you don't like it in your
sister, you should encourage her to employ herself in a purpose-like
manner."

"Hannah has done it for me this time--I am not sure, however." For
Rosie was standing still at the gate looking away down the hill towards
the village, "thinking her own thoughts, doubtless," Graeme said to
herself.

"She's waiting for some one, maybe. I daresay Sandy has sent some one
down to the village for the papers, as this is the day they mostly
come."

"Miss Graeme, my dear," continued Mrs Snow, in a little, "it is time
you were thinking of overtaking all the visiting you'll be expected to
do, now that I am better. It will be a while, before you'll get over
all the places where they will expect to see you, for nobody will like
to be overlooked."

"Oh, I don't know!" said Graeme. "It is not just like last time, when
we were strangers and new to the people. And we have seen almost
everybody already. And I like this quiet time much best."

"But, my dear, it is too late to begin to think first of your own likes
and dislikes now. And it will be good for Rosie, and you mustna tell me
that you are losing interest in your Merleville friends, dear! That
would be ungrateful, when they all have so warm an interest in you."

"No, indeed! I have not lost interest in my Merleville friends. There
will never be any place just like Merleville to me. Our old life here
always comes back to me like a happy, happy dream. I can hardly
remember any troubles that came to us all those seven years, Janet--till
the very end."

"My dear, you had your troubles, plenty of them, or you thought you had;
but the golden gleam of youth lies on your thoughts of that time, now.
There was the going away of the lads, for one thing. I mind well you
thought those partings hard to bear."

"Yes, I remember," said Graeme, gravely, "but even then we hoped to meet
again, and life lay before us all; and nothing had happened to make us
afraid."

"My dear, nothing has ha