ut in gorgeous splendour
from the white bareness of its surroundings--the cactus had bloomed!
Yes, the cactus had really burst into two blossoms, of such size and
brilliancy that with the sunlight upon them they were positively
dazzling to behold. Lilac sat and blinked her red eyes at them in
admiration and wonder. She had watched the two buds with tender
interest, and feared they would never unfold themselves. Now they had
done it, and how beautiful they were! How Mother would have liked them!

Her next thought was, as she went closer to examine them, that she must
tell Peter. She remembered now, that, occupied with her own affairs and
interests, she had never thanked him for two kind things he had done.
She was quite sure that he had got the flowers for her on May Day, and
had brought the cactus down from the cottage, yet she had said nothing.
How ungrateful she had been! She knew now how hard it was not to be
thanked for one's services. Did Peter mind? He must be pretty well
used to it, for certainly no one ever thanked him for anything, and as
for praise that was out of the question. If, as Uncle Joshua had said,
he was the prop of the house, it was taken for granted, and no one
thought of saying, "Well done, Peter!"

Yet he never complained. He went patiently on in his dull way, keeping
his pains and troubles to himself. How seldom his face was brightened
by pleasure, and yet Lilac remembered when he had been talking to her
about his animals or farming matters, that she had seen it change
wonderfully. Some inner feeling had beamed out from it, and for a few
minutes Peter was a different creature. It was a pity that he did not
always look like that; no one at such times could call him stupid or
ugly. "Anyway," concluded Lilac, "he's been kind, and I'll thank him as
soon as ever I can."

Her sympathy for Peter made her own trouble seem less, and she went
downstairs cheerfully with her mind bent on managing a little talk with
him as soon as possible. Supper-time would not do, because Bella and
Agnetta were there, and afterwards Peter was so sleepy. It must be
to-morrow. As it happened things turned out fortunately for Lilac, and
required no effort on her part, for Mrs Greenways discovered the next
day that someone must do some shopping in Lenham. There were things
wanted that Dimbleby did not keep, and the choice of which could not be
trusted to a man.

"I wonder," she said, "if I could make shif