en brown.
But then she was fair, rather pale a good deal of the time. She flushed
very easily though. There was an expression of trustful innocence that
rendered her very attractive, without being beautiful like Margaret.

"Come and let us walk about the garden," said Mrs. French. "It is light
enough to see the roses. They are my especial pride."

Hanny took the outstretched hand. She could not have explained it, but
she did feel happy and at home with Mrs. French. There was a
graciousness about her that set one at ease.

At the side was a long porch with curtains that rolled up when they were
not needed for shade. At the front of the garden, there was considerable
young shrubbery, then an arrangement of beds; the centre one, which was
a circle, was filled with the most beautiful roses. The middle was
raised somewhat, mound shape, with the dark red roses, then growing a
little paler to pure rose-colour and pink, tea-rose with the salmon
tint, and a border of white. And, oh, how fragrant!

Beside this bed there were others in clusters, and one clump in an
exquisite yellow.

"Some of them have been great travellers," said Mrs. French. "There are
roses from Spain, from France and Italy."

Hanny opened her eyes very wide, and then she looked at them again in
surprise.

"Oh, how could you get them?" she asked.

"I brought them from their homes. You see I have been quite a traveller,
also."

The child drew a long breath. "Did you go with Captain French?" she
inquired.

"Yes. When we were first married, his vessel traded in the Levant, and
brought back fruits and silks and shawls and nuts, and ever so many
things. After that we went to India, Calcutta. We took one of my
sisters, and she married an English merchant, and has been home only
once since then."

"Oh, I shouldn't like Margaret to live in Calcutta," the little girl
said, startled.

Mrs. French smiled. "Then we were away almost four years. We went to the
Chinese ports as well, and to some of the curious islands. We took a
cargo of tea to London."

"I know a little girl who has just gone to London, and who is to go on
to Germany to take some special kind of baths. She is my very dear
friend."

"Is she ill?"

"She is a great deal better now. When we first knew her, she couldn't
walk but a few steps. She was in the hospital where my brother used to
go when he was first a doctor. Then she came to live in our street."

"With her parents?"

"Oh, yes.