t of flowers; the open doors and windows showed a vista of well-kept
lawn, and in the distance the swelling height of mountains, beautiful
with that peculiar rich, velvet green which can be seen in no other
country in the world. Who would pause to notice the deficiencies of
curtain and carpet, when they could look out of the window and see such
a scene as that? As for the garden itself, it was a miracle of beauty,
for the flowering trees were still in bloom, while the wild roses had
thrown their branches high over the tall fir trees, and transformed the
drive into a fairy bower.

Hilary had special reasons for wishing everything to appear at its best
to-day, for two visitors were expected to arrive by the afternoon
train--Miss Carr, and the crippled author, Henry Rayner himself. Half-
a-dozen times she made a round of inspection, each time finding some
trifling alteration or addition to make to her preparations. At last,
however, all was ready: the tea-tray laid in the drawing-room, her own
white dress donned, a bunch of roses pinned in her belt; and there was
nothing left but to wait in such patience as she could command, while
Lettice and Norah looked at her slyly and exchanged glances of approval.

"Doesn't she look nice?" they whispered; and, indeed, Hilary was looking
her best this afternoon, with the pretty flush in her cheeks, and her
eyes alight with excitement. A few minutes after six o'clock the fly
drove up to the door, and there sat Miss Carr, in her fashionable London
bonnet, and, beside her, Mr Rayner, pale and delicate as ever, but
looking around him with an air of intense delight in the beautiful
surroundings. Mr Bertrand was on the front seat, and Hilary came
forward to do the honours with much less assurance than she would have
shown six months earlier.

"My dear, good child, have you any tea? I am perishing of thirst!"
cried Miss Carr loudly. She was so bustling and matter-of-fact, that
she was the best remedy in the world for shyness; and Hilary led the way
to the drawing-room with recovered equanimity. She had only had time
for a quick hand-shake with the other visitor, but the glance which had
been exchanged between them was delightful in its memory of past
meetings--its augury of good times to come.

"And here are your other big girls. Dear me!" said Miss Carr, bestowing
a hasty glance at Norah, and staring hard at Lettice over the edge of
her cup. "I remember them all in long clothe