s. In one he has left all his poets; at heart,
he is a rather romantic fellow. And the other you must fill up to your
liking."

"Oh, how could he be so kind to me, when--" and Marguerite swallowed
over a great sob.

"He is so glad for me. And he thinks it is truly a gift of Providence
that you should come, now that he is going away. Three years! Yet I have
waited so many years for these great blessings; prayed for them, if
one's ardent wish is a prayer."

"Did you ever pray for me?" asked Marguerite in a low awed tone.

"I prayed that if I died I should find you in that beautiful other
country. And sometimes I almost believed I should find you here.
Invalids have curious fancies almost like visions. Perhaps God gave me
the hope to enable me to endure the suffering and to be comparatively
well again and to have you--"

There was the summons to luncheon. The Major came for his wife, Willard
met his sister in the hall. The dining room was perfectly appointed,
with stands of flowers and ferns that made almost a garden of it. A few
blossoms were laid beside each one's plate. The butler seated them
noiselessly. Aunt Kate was at the head of the table; she had kept the
place so long that Mrs. Crawford would not hear of any change. She sat
at the right of her husband, Marguerite at the left; Jay and Willard
were opposite.

Marguerite _was_ nervous, but she did just as the others. She felt that
Aunt Kate's sharp eyes were upon her. Nearly always, she and her mother
had taken their meals together; on Sunday, specially invited to dine
with Mrs. Barrington and Miss Arran. Mrs. Boyd shrank from these
occasions but the girl seemed guiding her with an almost imperceptible
grace.

And although the luncheon came in courses it was not ornate. Marguerite
began to feel quite at ease. There was some bright talk, but she did not
join that, only now and then answering when her father appealed to her.
But every moment she felt more at home.

When they rose Willard took her arm.

"You must examine your new home," he began, laughingly. "If you
shouldn't like it--"

"I'd deserve to be banished to Laconia and live in an atmosphere of soot
and dust and all manner of noises," she answered, brightly.

"This is the drawing room. In my grandmother's time they used to have
famous gatherings. Uncle Reginald was a great society man, and Aunt
Kate quite a belle, but the Madam as she was called, spent her money
lavishly. That was in her own ri