iful! how delicious! For me? Where did you get them?"

"From Abbotstoke Grange; Miss Rivers sent them to you."

"How very kind! What a lovely geranium, and oh, that fern! I never saw
anything so choice. How came she to think of me?"

"They asked me in because it rained, and she was making the prettiest
things, leather leaves and flowers for picture frames. I thought it was
work that would just suit you, and learned how to do it. That made them
ask about you, and it ended by her sending you this nosegay."

"How very kind everybody is! Well, Ethel, are you come home too?"

"Papa picked me up. Oh, Margaret, we have found such a nice room, a
clean sanded kitchen--"

"You never saw such a conservatory--"

"And it is to be let to us for fourpence a time--"

"The house is full of beautiful things, pictures and statues. Only think
of a real Titian, and a cast of the Apollo!"

"Twenty children to begin with, and Richard is going to make some
forms."

"Mr. Rivers is going to show me all his casts."

"Oh, is he? But only think how lucky we were to find such a nice woman;
Mr. Wilmot was so pleased with her."

Norman found one story at a time was enough, and relinquished the
field, contenting himself with silently helping Margaret to arrange the
flowers, holding the basket for her, and pleased with her gestures of
admiration. Ethel went on with her history. "The first place we thought
of would not do at all; the woman said she would not take half-a-crown a
week to have a lot of children stabbling about, as she called it; so
we went to another house, and there was a very nice woman indeed, Mrs.
Green, with one little boy, whom she wanted to send to school, only it
is too far. She says she always goes to church at Fordholm because it is
nearer, and she is quite willing to let us have the room. So we settled
it, and next Friday we are to begin. Papa has given us two guineas, and
that will pay for, let me see, a hundred and twenty-six times, and
Mr. Wilmot is going to give us some books, and Ritchie will print some
alphabets. We told a great many of the people, and they are so glad.
Old Granny Hall said, 'Well, I never!' and told the girls they must be
as good as gold now the gentlefolks was coming to teach them. Mr. Wilmot
is coming with us every Friday as long as the holidays last."

Ethel departed on her father's coming in to ask Margaret if she would
like to have a visit from Mr. Wilmot. She enjoyed this very much, and