d a bad presentiment about something having gone wrong,
and nursie's coming is not wrong at all; it has put things right,'
persisted Vava.

'Oh well, I haven't got any presentiment now, so it's all right,'
declared Eva.

'And presentiments are very foolish things,' said Stella rather primly.

The breakfast was a very good one. Mrs. Morrison had made porridge and
hot scones, and had brought honey with her from the north, and the girls
sat over their meal a long time, forgetting the work they had before
them, until Amy started up, saying, 'We had better begin putting up the
curtains and getting the rooms ready. My bedroom is chaos, and Eva's is
not much better.'

Stella had noticed that Amy was very quiet during breakfast, and it
occurred to her that perhaps the girl was disturbed at the arrival of
Mrs. Morrison. It made it look as if the house and the ordering of it
were to be entirely Stella's, whereas it had been arranged that she and
Amy should share in the management. So, leaving Vava with Eva to clear
away, she followed Amy to her room, which did indeed look chaotic.

Amy had bought a nice bed and a chest of drawers and washstand of light
oak, very simple but quite pretty, and these, with one chair and some
boxes and pictures, were all her furniture.

'We shall soon make this look pretty; and, if you will use it, there is
an extra arm-chair which they have sent down from Lomore that I should
like you to have,' said the Scotch girl.

'Thank you, I should like it very much, if you can spare it; but you
must value anything that comes from your old home,' replied Amy, who
seemed a little depressed.

'Yes, that is why it is such a pleasure to have Mrs. Morrison with us;
she is almost like a mother to us. She was with my mother before she was
married. I hope you don't mind her coming?' asked Stella.

'Mind? I am delighted; I like her already, and I don't mind saying that
I was rather dreading the housekeeping and managing. It is all very well
when you have nothing else to do, but it is difficult to do two things
well. My City work gets rather heavy in spring, and I am often not home
till late, and then I am too tired to do anything but sit quietly by the
fire and read a book.'

'You will like her the more the more you know her,' said Stella, much
relieved; and then added, 'I thought something had vexed you.'

'Oh it had nothing at all to do with Mrs. Morrison; it was only Eva's
suite; but it's no use talking