od deal disappointed,
at his taking the matter so quietly.

'Aren't you glad?' she said; 'I thought you would have been ready to
jump out of your skin for joy. _I_ was; but I came straight off,
thinking I should overtake you. How fast you must have walked to get
here first! Oh, Cecil, do you think I could have a little water?'

'You're too hot to drink cold water,' said Cecil in a wise,
elder-brotherly way. 'I've got an apple in my pocket; you shall have a
bit of that.'

It was rather a greenish specimen, and one bite of it more than
satisfied Jessie, without refreshing her in the least; but she sat
holding it in her hand, and looking at Cecil with loving eyes, too happy
to mind much about her thirst and fatigue.

'Do you think Mr. Bardsley will let you come back with me?' she said
presently.

'Not till twelve o'clock, I'm sure; perhaps he would then. Father didn't
say I was to come, did he?'

'No, I was so silly I didn't wait to ask him; he didn't know I was
coming. Cecil, do you think they will be very angry with me? I have
never been so far alone before.'

'I'm afraid mother won't like it,' said Cecil; but he thought to himself
that he should always love her for it; and if he had been a girl instead
of a boy, he would have told her so. 'I must go back to study now; but
I think you had better wait here, if Mrs. Bardsley will let you,' he
continued, after a minute's reflection.

'But what will they think at home? They must have missed me. Cecil, I'd
better go;' and she stood up, feeling how dreary the lonely walk back
would be, with those tired feet of hers that had run along so merrily
when the thought of telling the joyful news had been the only one
present to her mind.

'There's father, I do declare, in old Mr. Rawson's gig!' exclaimed
Cecil, who was looking out of the window; and sure enough, at this
moment, a funny old-fashioned carriage drew up at the door, and Mr.
Cunningham got down from it and shook hands with the owner.

_He_ was not afraid of the big knocker, but the maid was much longer in
answering his rat-tat-tat than Jessie's feeble ring; and only a sense
that they were not in their own house, and must not take liberties,
restrained the children from opening the door themselves. They could not
resist running out into the hall to meet him, thus forestalling any
inquiry for them by their immediate appearance.

'Well, Cecil!'--oh, such a different 'well' from the one that had
greeted him on h