isible in her appearance and manners. There was a
decided attempt at neatness in her rather shabby garments; and a look
from Lilias, or even the remembrance of her, had power to stay the
utterance of the rude or angry word ere it passed her lips. Her
naturally affectionate disposition had been chilled by the life she had
been leading for the last few years, and her heart opened gratefully to
the kindness of Lilias. Under her influence, her good qualities were
rapidly developed; and she soon became a great favourite with them all.

"It has made a great difference, Elsie's being here," Lilias often said;
and when one morning Elsie came with swollen eyes to say that she could
come no more, Lilias felt inclined to weep with her. She comforted her,
however, telling her she would often come with Archie to see her while
she was feeding her cows on the hills, and that when the winter came
again her grandfather would let her come back to the school. So Elsie
dried her eyes, and promised to let no day pass without trying to read
at least one whole chapter in the little Testament that Lilias gave her
at parting.

There was no lack of incidents to break the monotony of their life
during the winter. Among the most frequent and by no means the least
interesting of these were the visits of Mrs Stirling. She never passed
to or from Kirklands--where all her little purchases were made--without
calling; and a wonderful interest she seemed to take in all that
concerned the children, especially Lilias; and she always met with a
welcome. Not that her visits were usually very cheerful affairs. The
conversation generally turned upon the troubles of life--great and
small, and especially her own--those she had experienced and those she
dreaded.

Mrs Blair was often greatly amused by the earnest and grave attempts of
Lilias to make the world look brighter to poor Nancy. Sometimes these
attempts took the form of sympathy, sometimes of expostulation; and more
than once there was something like gentle rebuke in the child's words
and tones. She could not boast of success, however. If Mrs Stirling
could not reply in words, she never failed to enter a protest against
the cheerful philosophy of Lilias, by a groan, or a shake of the head,
expressive of utter incredulousness. She was never angry, however, as
Mrs Blair was sometimes afraid she might be. Indeed, she seemed
greatly to enjoy the little girl's conversation; and sometimes her
v