e they view
That stand upon the threshold of the new."

EDMUND WALLER.

One day Pamela walked down to Hopetoun to lunch with Mrs. Hope. Augusta
had gone away on a short visit and Pamela had promised to spend as much
time as possible with her mother.

"You won't be here much longer," Mrs. Hope had said, "so spend as much
time with me as you can spare, and we'll talk books and quote poetry,
and," she had finished defiantly, "I'll miscall my neighbours if I feel
inclined."

It was February now, and there was a hint of spring in the air. The sun
was shining as if trying to make up for the days it had missed, the
green shoots were pushing daringly forth, and a mavis in a holly-bush
was chirping loudly and cheerfully. To-morrow they might be plunged back
into winter, the green things nipped and discouraged, the birds
silent--but to-day it was spring.

Pamela lingered by Tweedside listening to the mavis, looking back at
the bridge spanning the river, the church steeple high against the pale
blue sky, the little town pouring its houses down to the water's edge.
Hopetoun Woods were still bare and brown, but soon the larches would get
their pencils, the beeches would unfurl tiny leaves of living green, and
the celandines begin to poke their yellow heads through the carpet of
last year's leaves.

Mrs. Hope was sitting close to the window that looked out on the
Hopetoun Woods. The spring sunshine and the notes of the mavis had
brought to her a rush of memories.

"For what can spring renew
More fiercely for us than the need of you."

Her knitting lay on her lap, a pile of new books stood on the table
beside her, but her hands were idly folded, and she did not look at the
books, did not even notice the sunshine; her eyes were with her heart,
and that was far away across the black dividing sea in the last
resting-places of her three sons. Wild laddies they had been, never at
rest, never out of mischief, and now--"a' quaitit noo in the grave."

She turned to greet her visitor with her usual whimsical smile. She had
grown very fond of Pamela; they were absolutely at ease with each other,
and could enjoy talking, or sitting together in silence.

To-day the conversation was brisk between the two at luncheon. Pamela
had been with Jean to Edinburgh and Glasgow on shopping expeditions, and
Mrs. Hope was keen to hear all about them.

"I could hardly persuade her to go," Pamela said. "Her argument was,
'Why get cl