she was naturally more shy. Everybody
was so pleased with Lucy's story that she told another, and that was
the story of "Margot and the Golden Fish," which delighted everyone,
and was a useful story to the poor children.

But now the sun was beginning to dip its golden disc below the hills,
and the sound was heard of carriages. Mr. and Mrs. Darwell, and those
who had dined with them, were come up into the park.

Mrs. Colvin called on all the village children to put themselves in the
neatest order, and to take their places two and two, she herself
arranging Lucy and Emily and Miss Darwell in their bonnets and tippets;
and then walked with her train to join the company.

A great number of fine ladies and gentlemen were in the midst and
within the tents, and there were Mr. and Mrs. Fairchild.

Mrs. Darwell spoke civilly, but very coldly, to Lucy and Emily. Mr.
Darwell spoke kindly. The ladies and gentlemen had a great deal to say
to Miss Darwell, but she was become very reserved among so many
strangers, and seemed to cling close to Mrs. Colvin.

The village people were then offered more refreshments, and as they
could not take much, everything that was left was ordered to be given
amongst them; but none of them had gone, when all who had come from the
house returned to it.

"I am very sorry you are going, dear Lucy and Emily and Henry," said
Miss Darwell; "I have had the happiest day I ever had in my life. I
thought I should like you, but I did not know how very much it would
be."

The little girls then kissed each other, and Mrs. Colvin gave them a
note for their mother.

"This," she said, "is to tell Mrs. Fairchild, that I care not how often
you and Miss Darwell meet. I can add no more to that."

The children were to go home with their father and mother; and if they
loved Miss Darwell much already, they loved her more for her kindness
when they saw three large brown paper parcels under the seat of the
little carriage.

They had a sweet drive home, though they had not time to tell all that
had happened to their mother till the next day; but their parents knew,
from Mrs. Colvin's note, as soon as they got home, that their children
had behaved very well.

[Illustration: "_In their neatest morning dresses._"--Page 383.]

Grandmamma Fairchild

[Illustration: "Will Lucy love me?" said the old lady]

After this very pleasant day at the park, and long before Lucy and
Emily had left off talking about it,