followed Lilac sat shyly silent, feeling that
every morsel choked her, and listening to the clatter of voices and
teacups round her but hardly hearing any words. The farmer had noticed
her presence by a nod, and then resumed his newspaper. He meant to do
his duty by Mary's girl until she was old enough to go to service, but
no one could expect him to be glad of her arrival. Another useless
member of the family to support, where there were already too many.
Peter was not there at first, but when the meal was nearly over Lilac
heard the wagon roll heavily into the yard, and soon afterwards its
master came almost as heavily into the room and took his place at the
table. When there he eat largely and silently, taking huge draughts of
tea out of a great mug. This was one of his many vulgarities, which
Bella deplored but could not alter, for he required so much tea that a
cup was a ridiculous and useless thing to him, and had to be filled so
often that it gave a great deal of trouble--in this therefore he was
allowed to have his way.

When Lilac got into her attic that night she found that her deal box had
been carried up and placed in one corner, and as she began to undress in
the half-light she caught sight of something else which certainly had
not been there before. Something standing in the window twisted and
prickly, but to her most pleasant to look upon. Could it really be the
cactus? She went up to it, half afraid to find that she was mistaken.
No, it was not fancy, the cactus was there, and Lilac was so pleased to
see its ugly friendly face that tears came into her eyes. She had found
a little bit of kindness at last at Orchards Farm, and it no longer felt
quite so cold and strange. Peter no doubt had brought the plant down
from the cottage, but who had told him to do it? Her aunt, or Agnetta,
or perhaps after all it was Uncle Joshua as usual.

Whoever it was Lilac felt very grateful, and went to sleep comforted
with the thought that there was something in the room which had lived
her old life and known her mother's care, though it was only a cactus
plant.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

ORCHARDS FARM.

"For a crowd is not company, and faces are but a gallery of pictures,
and talk but a tinkling cymbal where there is no love."--_Bacon_.

"I like this one best," said Lilac.

She was looking in at the shed where Ben was milking the cows at
Orchards Farm.

Inside it was dusky and cool. There was a sweet s