se, which had been chosen by Mrs. Henfrey, was less than a
quarter of a mile from John Mortimer's, and was approached by the same
sandy lane. In front, on the opposite side of this lane, the house was
sheltered by a great cliff, crowned with fir trees, and enriched with
wild plants and swallows' caves; and behind, at the end of her garden
ran the same wide brook which made a boundary for John Mortimer's
ground.

This circumstance was a great advantage to the little Mortimers, who
with familiar friendship made themselves at once at home all over Mrs.
Nemily's premises, and forthwith set little boats and ships afloat on
the brook in the happy certainty that sooner or later they would come
down to their rightful owners.

Valentine entered the drawing-room, and a glance as he stooped to kiss
his sister served to assure him that she knew nothing of the great news.

She put her two hands upon his shoulders, and her sweet eyes looked into
his. A slightly shamefaced expression struck her. "Does the dear boy
think he is in love again?" she thought; "who is it, I wonder?" The look
became almost sheepish; and she, rather surprised, said to him, "Well,
Val, you see the house is ready."

"Yes," he answered, looking round him with a sigh.

Emily felt that he might well look grave and sad; it was no common
friend that he had lost. "How is John?" she asked.

"Why, he was very dull; very dull indeed, when I left him this morning;
and natural enough he should be."

"Yes, most natural."

Then he said, after a little more conversation on their recent loss,
"Emily, I came to tell you something very important--to me at least,"
here the shamefaced look came back. "Oh, no," he exclaimed, as a flash
of amazement leaped out of her eyes; "nothing of that sort."

"I am glad to hear it," she answered, not able to forbear smiling; "but
sit down then, you great, long-legged fellow, you put me out of conceit
with this room; you make the ceiling look too low."

"Oh, do I?" said Valentine, and he sat down in a comfortable chair, and
thought he could have been very happy with Emily, and did not know how
to begin to tell her.

"I must say I admire your taste, Emily," he then said, looking about
him, and shirking the great subject.

Emily was a little surprised at his holding off in this way, so she in
her turn took the opportunity to say something fresh; something that she
thought he might as well hear.

"And so John's dull, is he? Poor Jo