hardly think it possible that a fortnight had
passed away, when he asked permission to go over to the cottage and see
his sisters.

With the Intendant's permission, Patience and Clara accompanied him; and
the joy of Alice and Edith was great, when they made their appearance.
Oswald had, by Edward's request, gone over a day or two before, to tell
them that they were coming, that they might be prepared; and the
consequence was that it was a holiday at the cottage. Alice had cooked
her best dinner, and Humphrey and Pablo were at home to receive them.

"How pleasant it will be, if we are to see you and Clara whenever we see
Edward!" said Alice to Patience. "So far from being sorry that Edward
is with you I shall be quite glad of it."

"I water the flowers every day," said Edith, "and they make the garden
look so gay."

"I will bring you plenty more in the autumn, Edith; but this is not the
right time for transplanting flowers yet," replied Patience. "And now,
Alice, you must take me to see your farm, for when I was here last I had
no time; let us come now, and show me everything."

"But my dinner, Patience; I cannot leave it, or it will be spoiled, and
that will never do. You must either go with Edith now, or wait till
after dinner, when I can get away."

"Well, then, we will stay till after dinner, Alice, and we will help you
to serve it up."

"Thank you, Pablo generally does that, for Edith cannot reach down the
things. I don't know where he is."

"He went away with Edward and Humphrey, I think," said Edith. "I'll
scold him when he comes back for being out of the way."

"Never mind, Edith, I can reach the dishes," said Patience, "and you and
Clara can then take them, and the platters, and put them on the table
for Alice."

And Patience did as she proposed, and the dinner was soon afterwards on
the table. There was a ham, and two boiled fowls, and a piece of salted
beef, and some roasted kid, besides potatoes and green peas; and when it
is considered that such a dinner was set on the table by such young
people, left entirely to their own exertions and industry, it must be
admitted that it did them and their farm great credit.

In the meantime Edward and Humphrey, after the first greetings were
over, had walked out to converse, while Pablo had taken the horses into
the stable.

"Well, Humphrey, how do you get on?"

"Very well," replied Humphrey. "I have just finished a very tough job.
I have dug out