ton, you
get her some strawberries."

She put Matilda affectionately into a chair and took off her hat.

"And how do you like croquet?"

"Oh, very much! But I do not know how to play yet," said Matilda.

"Norton will teach you."

"Yes, ma'am," Matilda said, with a happy look.

"I think Norton is making a little sister of you," Mrs. Laval said
tenderly, drawing her hand down Matilda's cheek. "Do you know, Norton
once had a little sister as old as you?"

The lady's tone had changed. Matilda only looked, she dared not speak
in answer to this.

"I think he wants to make a sister of you," Mrs. Laval repeated
wistfully, her hand dropping to Matilda's hand and taking hold of that.
"How would you like to be Norton's sister?"

"Oh, I should like it very much!" Matilda answered, half eagerly, but
her answer touched with a soberness that belonged to the little sister
and daughter that Norton and Mrs. Laval had lost. There was a delicate,
sensitive manner about both her face and her voice as she spoke,
perfectly intelligible to the eyes that were watching her; and the
response to it was startling, for Mrs. Laval suddenly took the child in
her arms, upon her lap, though Matilda never knew how she got there,
and clasping her close, half smothered her with kisses, some of which
Matilda felt were wetted with tears. It was a passion of remembered
tenderness and unsatisfied longing. Matilda was astonished and passive
under caresses she could not return, so close was the clasp of the arms
that held her, so earnest the pressure of the lips that seemed to
devour every part of her face by turns. In the midst of this, Norton
came with the strawberries, and he too stood still and offered no
interruption. But when a pause in Mrs. Laval's ecstasy gave him a
chance, he said low,--

"Mrs. Beechy, mamma, and Miss Beechys, are there."

Mrs. Laval was quiet a moment, hiding her face in Matilda's neck; then
she put her gently down, rose up, and met some ladies who were coming
round the corner of the verandah, with a tone and bearing so cool, and
careless, and light, that Matilda asked her ears if it was possible.
The guests were carried off into the house; Matilda and Norton were
left alone.

It was Matilda's turn then. She set down the plate of strawberries
Norton had given her, and hid her face in her hands.

Norton bore this for a minute, and no more. Then one of his hands came
upon one of Matilda's, and the other upon the other, v