her to--to the nurses." Flora's voice trembled again.

"Our own dear old nurse," said Ethel.

"Oh! I wanted to thank you all for sparing her to us," said Flora.
"George wished it so much. But how does poor little Daisy bear it?"

"Very magnanimously," said Ethel, smiling. "In fact, nurse has had but
little to do with Daisy of late, and would have been very forlorn at
home. It is better for Aubrey and for her, not to return to be babies
to comfort poor nurse. I have been breaking up the nursery, and taking
Gertrude to live with me."

"Have you gone back there again?"

"It would not have been better for waiting," said Ethel; "and Gertrude
was so proud to come to me. I could not have done it without her, but
papa must not have vacancy next to him."

"It has been hard on you for me to engross him," said Flora; "but oh,
Ethel, I could not spare him. I don't think even you can tell what papa
is."

"You have found it out," said Ethel, in an odd, dry manner; which in
sound, though not in feeling, was a contrast to the soft, whispering,
tearful murmurs of her sister.

"And my aunt!" continued Flora--"that I should have taken up such a
great piece of her short visit!"

"Ah! it is coming to an end very fast," said Ethel, sighing; "but you
had the best right to her, and she and Meta have seen so much of each
other. She tells me she is quite satisfied about Meta now."

"I am sorry to see Meta looking out of spirits," said Flora. "I almost
made her cry by saying something about Norman. Is there anything going
wrong?"

Ethel, as usual, blundered into the subject. "Only about Norman's going
out."

Flora asked further questions, and she was obliged to explain. It roused
Flora's energies at once.

"This will never do!" she said. "They must marry, and go with my aunt."

Ethel was aghast. "They would not hear of it now!"

"They must. It is the only reasonable thing. Why, Norman would be
miserable, and as to Meta--Imagine his going out and returning--a year's
work, such an expense and loss of time, besides the missing Aunt Flora."

"If it were not wrong--"

"The waste would be the wrong thing. Besides--" and she told of
Margaret's wishes.

"But, Flora, think--the last week in February--and you so ill!"

"I am not to marry them," said Flora, smiling. "If it could be in a
fortnight, they could go and get their outfit afterwards, and come
back to us when I am stronger. Let me see--there need be no fuss about
settlemen