an India! It's all
true, and Easter is here at last!'

Then, after their admiration had worked itself out, they implored to be
taken down to the lodge.

'No, no,' said nurse; 'you have been out long enough You must get
stronger before you can take that walk. Be good children and come
indoors now.'

'When does Easter Sunday come?' asked Roland, as he and his sister were
enjoying their basins of beef-tea at the nursery table shortly
afterwards.

'It is only a week to-morrow,' was the reply.

Roland nodded across at his sister.

'That's the proper real Easter,' he said; 'that's when Mr. Bob's lilies
will be out.'

'How glad the flowers must be, now the winter is over!' said Olive
dreamily. 'What a long, long time they've been under the ground! If Mr.
Bob hadn't told us about them we shouldn't have known they were there,
should we? This is nicer than India, Roly!'

'Much nicer. When we get quite well we will stay out in the garden
always. We shan't want James's flowers now.'

'And we'll go and see Mr. Bob's lilies to-morrow, and we'll see his
graves too, won't we?'

'I don't think,' Roland said slowly, pausing between his spoonfuls of
beef-tea, and regarding his sister with serious eyes, 'I don't think Mr.
Bob said his graves would open for certain this Easter. They may; but
perhaps he will have to wait.'

'He said his lilies were sure to come up, and that made him sure about
his graves,' said Olive, with disappointment in her tone.

'Yes; but I think he meant his graves might take longer than his lilies.
I think he told us that, Olive.'

'Well, we'll ask him all about it to-morrow.'

But they were not allowed to go down the avenue on the next day, nor
yet the day after, and Easter Eve arrived before they had been able to
visit their old friend.

CHAPTER IV

Easter Morning

It was indeed a lovely morning for Easter Sunday; the sky was a
cloudless blue, and the birds awoke the children early by their jubilant
thanksgiving.

Nurse was in good spirits as she dressed the children. She had received
a pair of new kid gloves 'from a gentleman friend,' and 'of course,' she
said to the children, 'it would be very bad luck not to have something
new on Easter Sunday!'

'And what have we got new?' asked Olive with great interest.

Nurse showed her a little white serge frock, and put into Roland's hands
a new tie and a pair of gloves.

'Your Aunt Marion brought the frock up to the nursery last night