think her
altogether vain and foolish. And then Graeme said to herself, again,
that Rose did not care, she was quite sure, and very glad and thankful.

Glad and thankful! Yet, Graeme watched her sister next day, and for
many days, with eyes which even Fanny could see were wistful and
anxious. Rose did not see it, or she did not say so. She was not sad
in the least degree, yet not too cheerful. She was just as usual,
Graeme assured herself many times, when anxious thoughts would come; and
so she was, as far as any one could see.

When Mr Millar called the first time after the night when Graeme had
met him with Miss Roxbury, Rose was not at home. He had seen her going
into the house next door, as he was coming up the street, he told Mrs
Elliott, when she wondered what had become of her. She did not come in
till late. She had been beguiled into playing and singing any number of
duets and trios with the young Gilberts, she said, and she had got a new
song that would just suit Fanny's voice, and Fanny must come and try it.
And then, she appealed to Arthur, whether it was a proper thing for his
wife to give up all her music except nursery rhymes, and carried her in
triumph to the piano, where they amused themselves till baby wanted
mamma. She was just as friendly as usual with Mr Millar during the
short time he stayed after that--rather more so, perhaps, for she
reminded him of a book which he had promised to bring and had forgotten.
He brought it the very next night, but Rose, unhappily, had toothache,
and could not come down. She was not "making believe," Graeme assured
herself when she went up-stairs, for her face was flushed, and her hands
were hot, and she paid a visit to the dentist next morning. In a day or
two Harry came home, and Mr Millar came and went with him as usual, and
was very quiet and grave, as had come to be his way of late, and to all
appearance everything went on as before.

"Graeme," said Fanny, confidentially, one night when all but Rose were
sitting together, "I saw the _prettiest_ velvet jacket to-day! It was
trimmed in quite a new style, quite simply, too. I asked the price."

"And were astonished at its cheapness," said Harry.

"For baby, I suppose?" said Arthur.

"For baby! A velvet jacket! What are you thinking of, Arthur?" said
Fanny, answering her husband first. "No, Harry, I was not astonished at
the cheapness. But it was a beauty, and not very dear, considering."

"And