ways of Rose, and waited patiently till Graeme, of her own accord,
should show her the cloud in the shadow of which she sometimes sat.

As to Fanny, the new claimant for her love and interest, she was for
from being overlooked all this time, and the pretty little creature
proved a far greater mystery to the shrewd, right-judging friend of the
family than seemed at all reasonable. There were times when, had she
seen her elsewhere, she would not have hesitated to pronounce her
frivolous, vain, overbearing. Even now, seeing her loved and cared for,
in the midst of the bairns, there were moments when she found herself
saying it in her heart. A duller sense, and weaker penetration could
not have failed to say the same. But Fanny was Arthur's wife, and
Arthur was neither frivolous, nor vain, nor overbearing, but on the
contrary, wise, and strong, and gentle, possessing all the virtues that
ever had made his father a model in Janet's admiring eyes, and it seemed
a bold thing, indeed, to think lightly of his wife. So she mused, and
pondered, and watched, and put Fanny's beautiful face and winning
manners, and pretty, affectionate ways, against her very evident
defects, and said to herself, though Arthur's wife was not like Arthur's
mother, nor even like his sisters, yet there were varieties of
excellence, and surely the young man was better able to be trusted in
the choice of a life-long friend than on old woman like her could be;
and still she waited and pondered, and, as usual, the results of her
musings were given to her attentive husband, and this time with a little
impatient sigh.

"I needna wonder at it. Love is blind, they say, and goes where it is
sent, and it is sent far more rarely to wisdom and worth, and humble
goodness, than to qualities that are far less deserving of the happiness
it brings; and Mr Arthur is no' above making a mistake. Though how he
should--minding his mother as he does--amazes me. But he's well
pleased, there can be no doubt of that, as yet, and Miss Graeme is no'
ill-pleased, and love wouldna blind her. Still I canna but wonder after
all is said."

And she still wondered. There were in her vocabulary no gentler names
for the pretty Fanny's defects, than just frivolity and vanity, and even
after a glimpse or two of her stepmother, Janet's candid,
straightforward nature could hardly make for those defects all the
allowance that was to be made. She could not realise how impossible it