emed to soften their expression; he took her slight hand and drew it
affectionately through his arm.

"It takes a small thing to excite you, my love," he said; "but you
always were of a turbulent disposition--just your poor mother over
again."

Hester sighed faintly when Sir John spoke of his wife, then she quickly
cheered up and said in an eager voice--

"You don't call it a little thing, father, to know that in a minute or
two I shall welcome Nan back from school? Nan comes to-night--Annie
Forest to-morrow. It would be difficult for any girl to want more to
make her perfectly happy."

Sir John raised his brows.

"I only know Miss Forest by hearsay," he said, "so I will reserve my
judgment upon her; but I do know Nan. She will upset the entire _regime_
of the house. I like order, and she likes disorder. I like quiet meals,
she likes uproarious ones. I hate shocks and she adores them. I am glad,
of course, to welcome the child home, but at the same time I dread her
arrival. I cannot possibly understand how it is that Mrs. Willis, who is
supposed to be such a splendid instructor of youth, should not have
brought Nan a little better into control. Now, you, my dear Hetty, are
very different. You have passions and feelings--no one has them more
strongly--but you keep them in check. Your reticence and your reserve
please me much. In short, Hester, no father could have a more admirable
daughter to live with him. I am pleased with you, my dear; the
experiment of having you home from school to look after my house has
turned out well. There is nothing I would not do to please you, and
while your friend Miss Forest is here, I will do my best to render her
visit a success. The only discordant element will be Nan. I cannot
understand why Mrs. Willis has not got Nan into the same control she had
you in."

"You forget," said Hester, "that I am seventeen and Nan only eight. No
one ever yet could say 'No' to Nan. Father, don't you hear the carriage
wheels? She is coming--I know she is coming. Please forgive me, I must
run to meet her."

Sir John released his daughter's hand, and Hester flew with the speed of
an arrow from a bow up the long avenue. She was not mistaken. Her keen
ears had detected the smooth roll of wheels. A landau drawn by a pair of
horses had even now entered the lodge gates. Hester, looking up, heard
some gay voices, some childish laughter. Then an imperious voice
shouted to the coachman to pull up the horse