ooking up into
my face with a kindly smile, and taking my hand, while her beautiful
blue eyes sparkled. 'I am so glad you have come, dear Lily,' she
continued. 'I do want a companion like you so much!'

"'Do you find the boys unsocial, then, Miss Vea?' inquired Uncle John.

"'Oh no, sir,' she replied; 'but they are boys, and you know girls are
not allowed to do exactly what they do, so I am often alone.'

"'And what do you do when you are alone?' said Uncle John, evidently
amused with the precise though sweet tone of voice of little Vea.

"'I play with my doll Edith, and I read my story-books, and I talk to
Natilie. Do you know, sir,' she said, letting my hand loose and taking
my uncle's as we mounted up the steep slope to the road above, while the
donkey was led round by another way, followed by the boys, 'poor
Natilie, when she came to stay with us, could not speak a word of
English, and she was so sad. And the boys used to laugh at her, and so
did I sometimes, till Aunt Mary, in whose house we were living, told us
that if we only knew poor Natilie's sad story we would be so sorry for
her, that, instead of laughing, we would be apt to cry.'

"'And what was the story?' inquired the rector.

"'Oh,' said Vea, laughing, 'Aunt Mary was so cunning about it, she
wouldn't tell us a word, but said we must learn our French very fast,
and that then Natilie would tell it for herself; and as Aunt Mary said
it was far more interesting than any we could read in our story-books,
we did try to understand what she said to us very hard indeed. But we
haven't heard the story yet; only we never laugh at Natilie now, for we
have made out little bits of it, and we know the chief reason why she is
sad is this: her husband is a very bad man, and he ran away and left
her, and carried off her two little children, and she cannot find
them.--But will you please walk into the garden, sir?' she continued,
opening a side gate. 'Aunt said we might show you the new rustic table
as we came along.'

[Illustration: THE NEW RUSTIC TABLE.]

"Patrick, the eldest boy, who had run on before, joined us just as we
came up to the arbour, where a neat round table stood, having curious
feet made out of the rough branches of a tree; the top had been
polished, and painted with varnish, and looked very splendid indeed. But
the quick eyes of Vea soon detected an ugly scar on the bright surface,
as if some boy had been attempting to cut out a letter upon it.