ms, watching
for the return of the others, as each turn brought her to the end
window. As Lord Martindale came up-stairs, he paused at the sight of the
slender young figure--her head bent over her little one. Perhaps he was
thinking what might have been, if his own children had ever been as much
to their mother; for when Violet turned towards him he sighed, as he
roused himself, and asked whether she saw John coming. Then joining her,
he looked at his grandson, saying, 'He is improving very fast. How like
you he grows!'

'Poor little fellow, he was not at all well yesterday, and I began to
think of asking whether I should send for Mr. Legh.'

'Whatever you do, beware of doctoring!' was Lord Martindale's rather
hasty answer. 'Of doctoring and governessing!--I have seen enough of
it, and I resolved my two youngest should run wholesomely wild, never be
dosed, and never learn a lesson till they were six years old.'

'But this poor little man is really delicate, and I have no experience,'
pleaded Violet.

'Depend upon it, my dear,' said Lord Martindale, with sorrowful emotion
in his voice, as he saw the little fair head resting caressingly on her
neck, 'you are doing more for him than all the physicians in England.
You must not tease him and yourself with fretting and anxiety.'

'I know it is my duty not to be over-anxious,' said Violet, with her
heart full, as she clasped her hands close round her tiny treasure.

'You must not,' said his grandfather. 'It was the notion that mine could
never have enough teaching or doctoring-as if that was what they wanted!
Some system or other was always being tried on them, and they were never
left to healthy action of mind or body, till the end was that I lost
my two pretty little girls! And poor John, I never saw a more
wretched-looking child than he was when I took him to Dr.--.'

'And what was his advice?'

'His advice was this. "Throw away lessons and physic. Give him other
children to play with, make him wear a brown holland pinafore, and
let him grope in the dirt." I believe it saved his life! I begged Mrs.
Fotheringham to let him do just like her children, little thinking what
was to come of that.' Then catching himself up, as if fearing to give
Violet pain, 'Not that I should have regretted that connection. She
was all that could be wished, and I judged by personal merits.' He
hesitated, but spoke warmly, as if applying the words to Violet. 'Their
youth was my only object