e nurse broke in upon the scene, which she feared would agitate Edwin
too much; and with red eyes and heavy hearts the boys left, only
whispering, "We will come again to-morrow, Edwin!"

They came the next day and many days, and got to talk quite cheerfully
with him, and read to him. They loved this occupation more than any
game, and devoted themselves to it. The sorrow of the sick-room more
than repaid them for the glad life without, when they heard Russell's
simple and heartfelt thanks. "Ah! how good of you, dear fellows," he
would say, "to give up the merry playground for a wretched cripple," and
he would smile cheerfully to show that his trial had not made him weary
of life. Indeed, he often told them that he believed they felt for him
more than he did himself.

One day Eric brought him a little bunch of primroses and violets. He
seemed much better, and Eric's spirits were high with the thoughts and
hopes of the coming holidays. "There, Edwin," he said, as the boy
gratefully and eagerly took the flowers, "don't they make you glad?
They are one of our _three_ signs, you know, of the approaching
holidays. One sign was the first sight of the summer steamer going
across the bay; another was May eve, when these island-fellows light big
gorse fires all over the mountains, and throw yellow marsh-lilies at
their doors to keep off the fairies. Do you remember, Eddy, gathering
some last May eve, and sitting out in the playground till sunset,
watching the fires begin to twinkle on Cronck-Irey and Barrule for miles
away? What a jolly talk we had that evening about the holidays; but my
father and mother were here then, you know, and we were all going to
Fairholm. But the third sign--the first primrose and violet--was always
the happiest, as well as quite the earliest. You can't think how I
_grabbed_ at the first primrose this year; I found it by a cave on the
Ness. And though these are rather the last than the first, yet I knew
you'd like them, Eddy, so I hunted for them everywhere. And how much
better you're looking too; such shining eyes, and, yes I positively
declare, quite a ruddy cheek like your old one. You'll soon be out
among us again, that's clear--"

He stopped abruptly: he had been rattling on just in the merry way that
Russell now most loved to hear, but, as he was talking, he caught the
touch of sadness on Russell's face, and saw his long, abstracted, eager
look at the flowers.

"Dear fellow, you'r