h you expected to be contradicted, Jem," said Violet,
laughing.

"Is Philip pleased with the prospect? Will the thing go on?" asked Mrs
Inglis.

"I think so. I hope so. It will be decided when Mr Oswald returns.
Philip would have liked me to go with them--into their service, I mean,
with the prospect of something better by and by."

"And what did you say to him?" asked his mother.

"Of course you refused?" said Violet.

"I don't know about that," said Jem. "Davie had better think twice
before he refuses such an offer. But Davie never did appreciate
Philip."

David laughed at Jem, and answered his mother.

"I told him all about it, mamma. He was disappointed, but he
understood, I think."

There was no more said that night. Jem would gladly have entered into a
discussion of the subject, but David did not stay to listen, and Violet
would not respond, and what he had to say would not have been the best
thing to say to his mother, so he kept his opinion for the hearing of
Philip against the time he should see him again.

When Philip came, which was not for a day or two, the first words he
said to Mrs Inglis were--

"I think you ought to be a very happy woman, Aunt Mary."

"I think so too. But what has given you new light on the subject?"
asked Mrs Inglis, smiling.

"And you ought all to be very happy children," said Philip, lifting
little Mary, who was not so very little now, to his knee.

"And so we are," said Violet.

"And you ought to be very good, too."

"And so we are," said Jem.

"Well, then, no more need be said on the subject at present, except that
I wish that I were one of you."

"Tell us about the new partnership," said Jem.

"It is not to be spoken of yet. It is a secret."

"Davie told us," said Violet.

"Oh, I don't mean it is to be a secret here! But it is not to be
decided till my father comes home. Though I suppose he will let me do
as I like."

"If you are quite sure that you know what you would like."

"I am quite sure I know what _I_ would like, but I am not to have
_that_, it seems."

"Is it Davie?" said Violet. "But you don't mean that you would like him
to change his mind and his plans, I hope?"

"It would be selfish, wouldn't it, and wrong? No, upon the whole I
wouldn't like Davie to be different, or to do differently. But I should
like to be more like him."

"But you are pretty good now, aren't you," said Mary. "Davie is very
fond of you and mamma and