"Oh! you know quite well for what. What should I have done, if it had
not been for you and Harry? I mean if you had not let me come to your
house sometimes."

"Stuff!" said Harry.

"Truth!" said Charlie. "I never shall forget the misery of my first
months, till Harry came into our office. It has been quite different
since the night he brought me to your house, and you were so kind as to
ask me to come again."

"That was no great self-denial on our part," said Graeme, smiling.

"You minded Graeme on some one she used to know long ago," said Rose.
"And, besides, you are from Scotland."

Both lads laughed.

"And Graeme feels a motherly interest in all Scottish laddies, however
unworthy they may be," said Harry.

And so they rambled on about many things, till they came to the gate of
Mr Elphinstone's garden, beyond which Arthur and Will were loitering.

"How pretty the garden is!" said Rose. "Look, Graeme, at that little
girl in the window. I wonder whether the flowers give her as much
pleasure, as they used to give me."

"I am afraid she does not get so many of them as you used to get," said
Graeme.

"Come in and let me gather you some," said Charlie.

"No, indeed. I should not venture. Though I went in the first time
without an invitation. And you dare not pick Mr Stirling's flowers."

"Dare I not?" said Charlie, reaching up to gather a large spray from a
climbing rose, that reached high above the wall.

"Oh! don't. Oh! thank you," said Rose.

As far down as they could see for the evergreens and horse-chestnuts a
white dress gleamed, and close beside the little feet that peeped out
beneath it, a pair of shining boots crushed the gravel.

"Look," said Rose, drawing back.

"The new partner," said Harry, with a whistle. "A double partnership--
eh, Charlie?"

"I shouldn't wonder," said Charlie, looking wise.

"He knows what he's about, that brother of yours. He's cute. He knows
a thing or two, I guess."

"Harry," said Rose, gravely, "don't talk slang. And I don't think it
very polite to speak that way to Mr Millar about his brother."

"My dear Rosie, I am not talking slang, but the pure American language;
and I think you are more considerate about other people's brothers than
you are of your own. Twice this night I have heard your brother called
cross and disagreeable, without rebuke."

"You deserved it," said Rose, laughing.

"Miss Rose," said Charlie, "let your smile beam on him