ives. Mollie turned a
scorched cheek to her.

'Dear Miss Ross, thank you ever so much,' she said fervently as Audrey
repeated her promise of looking in the next afternoon.

'Poor little soul! how interested Michael will be when I tell him all
about her!' she thought as she walked briskly towards Woodcote.

Audrey had scarcely closed the green gate behind her before Mrs. Blake's
foot sounded on the stairs. She looked pale and heavy-eyed, and walked
into the room a little languidly; but if Audrey had seen her she would
only have thought that her paleness invested her with fresh interest.

'Miss Ross has gone, mamma,' observed Mollie regretfully, as she
followed her into the room.

'Yes, I know; I felt too jaded to face visitors this morning--Miss Ross
looks at one so, and my nerves would not stand it. How are you, Kester?'
kissing his forehead lightly; 'you look better than usual. I don't
believe I closed my eyes until four o'clock. Dear me!' interrupting
herself; 'there are Cyril's books nicely arranged--did you do them,
Mollie? Why, the room looks quite comfortable and homelike. Miss Ross
must have helped you a great deal.'

'Oh yes, mamma,' exclaimed Mollie and Kester eagerly; and they were
about to expatiate on Audrey's wonderful goodness, when their mother
checked them:

'Please don't speak so loud, children, or you will make my head bad
again. I will tell you what we will do, Mollie. We will make those
curtains, and then this room will be quite finished. There are only the
hems and just the tops to do. We can have no difficulty in finishing
them before Cyril comes home. The red tablecloth is at the top of the
black box--if you will fetch it, Mollie--and I have arranged the flowers
in that pretty green vase.'

'But, mamma,' pleaded Mollie, in a vexed voice, 'the room will do quite
well without curtains for one day, and I promised Miss Ross to help
Biddy with the plates and dishes. All the hampers are unpacked, and
there is not a corner in the kitchen to put anything--and it does make
Biddy so cross.'

'Nonsense, Mollie! Who minds about Biddy's crossness! I suppose I may do
as I like in my own house. Let us have dinner, and then we will set to
work at once--you and I--and Kester can read to us;' and, seeing that
her mother's mind was fully made up, Mollie very wisely held her tongue,
probably admonished thereto by a mild kick from Kester.

So, as soon as the chops had been eaten, Mollie produced her mother