painted three times over before Arthur was
satisfied. I was so tired that I would have left it as it was, but he
is so obs--, he likes to have things done exactly in his own way, and
worries on and on until he gets it. I thought it would be fun
furnishing a house, but it gets a little tiresome when people are so
very, very particular. We will have a nice lazy time, won't we, Norah?
Arthur is not coming up for three weeks, so we shall be alone and have
no one to bother us."

"Ye-es!" stammered Norah confusedly.

This novel way of regarding the presence of a lover was so amazing that
it took away her breath, and before she recovered, Miss Briggs entered
the room, and there was no more chance of private conversation for the
present.

Nothing could have been sweeter or more amiable than Lettice's demeanour
during the first week at home. She seemed to revel in the simple
country life, and to cling to every member of the household with
pathetic affection. She went into the kitchen and sat on the fender
stool, talking to the cook and inquiring for "your aunt at Preston,"
"the little niece Pollie," "your nephew at sea," with a kindly
remembrance which drew tears from the old soul's eyes. She made dresses
for Geraldine's dolls, trimmed Miss Briggs' caps, and hovered about her
father and sisters on the watch for an opportunity to serve them.
Everyone was charmed to have her at home once more, and fussed over her
in a manner which should have satisfied the most exacting of mortals;
but sweet and loving as she was, Lettice did not look satisfied. The
grey eyes seemed to grow larger and larger until her face appeared all
eyes, and her cheeks showed a faint hollow where the dimples used to
play. One miserable night, too, Norah woke to find Lettice sobbing with
her head buried in the pillow, and heard a pitiful repetition of the
words, "What shall I do? What shall I do?" But when she inquired what
was wrong, Lettice declared that a tooth was aching, and sat up in the
bed and rubbed her gums obediently with a lotion brought from the
medicine cupboard. Norah blamed herself for doubting her sisters word,
but she could not help noticing that the toothache yielded very rapidly
to the remedy, and the incident left a painful impression on her mind.

Norah was not the only member of the household who was anxious about
Lettice's happiness. Mr Bertrand had a serious conversation on the
subject with his eldest daughter one morni