more
worthy to be called Thy son,_' then God just folds them in His arms and
forgives them and takes them back again; isn't that it?"

"Look here, I think we have had enough of this subject. Talk about
something else."

Sir Edward's tone was irritable. Milly's ready tongue obeyed.

"Nurse says it's so cold to-day that she thinks it will snow. Do you
think it will? It is quite smoky by the river; nurse says it is a fog. I
wondered where it all came from. Do you think it might be God's breath,
uncle?"

As she was chatting on, suddenly there came a sharp knock at the door,
and a visitor appeared.

"Thought I'd look you up, for I heard you were on the sick list. Good
gracious! you have been pretty bad, haven't you? Will you put me up for
a night or two? I expect you want a little cheerful company."

Talking volubly, Major Lovell--for it was he--came forward and looked
with real concern on Sir Edward's altered face.

"I'm very glad to see you," said the latter, heartily, holding out his
hand. "Come and stay for as long as you like. I'm sick to death of my
own society."

"And is this the small party that arrived so unexpectedly when I was
here before?" inquired Major Lovell, looking down at Milly, who still
sat in the big chair, regarding the new-comer with her large brown eyes.

"Yes," said Sir Edward, a faint smile hovering about his lips as he
remembered his horror of her advent; "she is taking charge of me this
afternoon."

Milly held out her little hand with all the grace of a duchess.

"I remember you," she said; "you were one of the gentlemen that laughed
at me."

"I don't think I could have been guilty of such rudeness, surely."

"Now, I think you may run away," Sir Edward said, "and tell nurse I will
ring when I want her."

Milly obeyed, and confided to nurse that she hoped the "new gentleman"
would not keep her away from her uncle. "For do you know, nurse, I like
Uncle Edward so much better when he is in bed. He looks so sad, and
speaks so softly. I wish I could sit with him every day."

Major Lovell was a distant cousin of Sir Edward, and there existed a
warm friendship between them. The very brightness of his tone seemed to
do the invalid good, and Milly was quite delighted to find that her
uncle's visitor not only listened with interest to the account of her
favorite games and pastimes, but insisted upon joining her in them, and
the walls of the quiet old house rang again with merry mirth and