sin; for they had not a doubt that she was happy. Then, too,
Lucy and Emily began to think how they could make up the loss to the
old lady, if she would but come and live with them; and then they began
to plan what rooms she could have, and were a little puzzled because
the house was very small; yet Lucy said she thought it might be
contrived.

The next letter from Mr. Fairchild said that he had persuaded his
mother to leave The Grove for a few weeks; and that she was to set out
the next day with her maid, whilst he remained to settle everything.

The old lady was expected to come the day after the next, as she would
sleep on the road; and there was much to be done to get everything
ready, and to see after mourning.

Lucy and Emily had many plans for comforting their grandmother; and as
the old lady was used to be wheeled about in a Bath-chair, John was
sent to the Park to borrow one which had belonged to Sir Charles
Noble's mother.

The elder Mrs. Fairchild was old, and had long been affected by
lameness, which prevented her from walking with ease; and this her
daughter-in-law knew. There was nothing she would not have done to make
her comfortable. Henry cheerfully gave up his room for the maid, and
had a little bed put up for him in the play-room. He had settled that
he was to be his grandmother's horse as soon as he saw the Bath-chair.

The children had not known much of their cousins; they had been at
their grandmother's only once since they could remember, for the very
bad health of their cousins had prevented their going with their father
when he went to see his mother; they could not therefore feel for their
cousins as if they had known them well, but they thought very much of
their grandmother's loss.

Mrs. Fairchild had settled that the old lady was to have the use of
their little drawing-room, and no one but herself was to go to her in
that room unless she wished it; and she told the children they must
expect her to be very sad indeed till after the funeral, and that they
must be very quiet, and not come in her sight unless she desired it.

She was not expected until the evening of the third day after they had
heard she was coming; and then Henry went up to the top of the round
hill to watch for the carriage, and to be the first to give notice of
it.

It was not far from six o'clock when he first saw it coming down the
hill towards the village, and he was not sure of it for some time; he
then ran in,