d Northmoor.

'A Canadian bear I have just brought home, eh, Amy?' said he, exhilarated
into fun for once, while Lady Adela indulged in a quiet smile at the
manner of partaking of humble pie.

Amice had, however, broken up the _tete-a-tete_, and all were soon
together again, Lady Adela greeting Captain Alder as an old friend, and
he, in the restraint of good breeding, betraying none of his feeling at
the contrast between the girlish wife and the faded widow, although
perhaps in very truth Adela Morton was a happier, certainly a more
peaceful woman now than in those days.

All must spend the evening together. Where? The Northmoors carried the
day, Adela and Bertha must come up to dinner, yes, and Amice too. It was
fine moonlight and the Captain would stay and escort them.

Meantime Lord and Lady Northmoor revelled in a moonlight walk together
exactly as they had done seven years before as a bride and bridegroom,
but with that further ingredient in joy before them--that nightly romp
with their Mite, to which Frank had been looking forward all through his
voyage. Their Mite all the happier because his Tom and Fanny were at the
keeper's lodge, and allowed to play with him in the garden, and on the
heath.

Six weeks later, Lord Northmoor acted as father at Bertha's wedding, a
quiet one, with Constance and Amice as bridesmaids, with, as
supernumerary, little Boadicea, who was to share the new Canadian home.

Michael was there in the glory of his first knickerbockers, and Mrs. Bury
was there, and her last words ere the bride came down dressed for the
journey were, 'How about "that stick," my dear?'

'Ah! sticks are sometimes made of good material.'

'There is a tree that groweth by the Water Side,' said Adela.

CHAPTER XLIII
THE STAFF

Five years later almost all the members of the Morton family were met
once more at Westhaven.

Ida was slowly dying. She had always been more or less delicate, and she
had never entirely recovered the effect of the distress she had brought
upon herself by that foolish crime towards her little cousin. Her mother
had joined Miss Gattoni, and they had roamed about the Continent in the
various resorts of seekers of health and of pleasure, hoping to distract
her mind and restore her strength and spirits. For a time this sometimes
seemed to succeed, and she certainly became prettier; but disappointment
always ensued; a little over-exertion or excitement was sure to bring on