oving away.

"I will have the baby here to-night," she said to the girl. "Tell nurse
to put a shawl round him and bring him down. It is the hour for my
baby's supper," she smiled, turning to Lady Isabel. "I may as well have
him here for once, as Mr. Carlyle is out. Sometimes I am out myself, and
then he has to be fed."

"You do not stay indoors for the baby, then?"

"Certainly not. If I and Mr. Carlyle have to be out in the evening, baby
gives way. I should never give up my husband for my baby; never, never,
dearly as I love him."

The nurse came in--Wilson. She unfolded a shawl, and placed the baby on
Mrs. Carlyle's lap. A proud, fine, fair young baby, who reared his head
and opened wide his great blue eyes, and beat his arms at the lights of
the chandelier, as no baby of nearly six months ever did yet. So thought
Barbara. He was in his clean white nightgown and nightcap, with their
pretty crimped frills and border; altogether a pleasant sight to look
upon. _She_ had once sat in that very chair, with a baby as fair upon
her own knee; but all that was past and gone. She leaned her hot head
upon her hand, and a rebellious sigh of envy went forth from her aching
heart.

Wilson, the curious, was devouring her with her eyes. Wilson was
thinking she never saw such a mortal fright as the new governess. Them
blue spectacles capped everything, she decided; and what on earth made
her tie up her throat in that fashion? As well wear a man's color and
stock at once! If her teaching was no better than her looks, Miss Lucy
might as well go to the parish charity school!

"Shall I wait, ma'am?" demurely asked Wilson, her investigation being
concluded.

"No," said Mrs. Carlyle. "I will ring."

Baby was exceedingly busy taking his supper. And of course, according
to all baby precedent, he ought to have gone off into a sound sleep over
it. But the supper concluded, and the gentleman seemed to have no more
sleep in his eyes than he had before he began. He sat up, crowed at
the lights, stretched out his hands for them, and set his mother at
defiance, absolutely refusing to be hushed up.

"Do you wish to keep awake all night, you rebel?" cried Barbara, fondly
looking on him.

A loud crow, by way of answer. Perhaps it was intended to intimate he
did. She clasped him to her with a sudden gesture of rapture, a sound of
love, and devoured his pretty face with kisses. Then she took him in her
arms, putting him to sit upright, and app