arrival of the
first guest, after which time it would be a matter of course that they
should stand. Miss Janet and her brothers sat down on their low stools,
at some distance from each other; but little Miss Flora had no notion of
submitting to their restraints at her early age, and she scrambled up
the window-seat to look abroad as far as she could, which was through
the high iron gates to the tall houses on the other side the Wynd.

Lady Rachel saw the boys and Janet looking at each other with smiles,
and this turned her attention to the child in the window, who was
nodding her little curly head very energetically to somebody outside.

"Come down, Flora," said her aunt.

But Flora was too busy, nodding, to hear that she was spoken to.

"Flora, come down. Why are you nodding in that way?"

"Lady nods," said Flora.

Lady Rachel rose deliberately from her seat, and approached the window,
turning pale as she went. After a single glance in the court-yard, she
sank on a chair, and desired her nephew Orme to ring the bell twice.
Orme who saw that something was the matter, rang so vigorously as to
bring the butler in immediately.

"John, you see?" said the pale lips of Lady Rachel, while she pointed,
with a trembling finger, to the court-yard.

"Yes, my lady; the doors are fastened."

"And Lord Carse not home yet?"

"No, my lady. I think perhaps he is somewhere near, and cannot get
home."

John looked irresolutely towards the child in the window. Once more
Flora was desired to come down, and once more she only replied, "Lady
nods at me."

Janet was going towards the window to enforce her aunt's orders, but she
was desired to keep her seat, and John quickly took up Miss Flora in his
arms and set her down at her aunt's knee. The child cried and
struggled, said she would see the lady, and must infallibly have been
dismissed to the nursery, but her eye was caught, and her mind presently
engaged by Lady Rachel's painted fan, on which there was a burning
mountain, and a blue sea, and a shepherdess and her lamb--all very gay.
Flora was allowed to have the fan in her own hands--a very rare favour.
But presently she left off telling her aunt what she saw upon it,
dropped it, and clapped her hands, saying, as she looked at the window,
"Lady nods at me."

"It is mamma!" cried the elder ones, starting to their feet, as the lady
thrust her face through the flowers, and close to the window-pane.

"Go to the nursery