strength ready to work with.'

'My strength has been extremely useful to-day.'

'What to you mean, dear?' said Primrose, softly endeavouring
to coax the hands and arms away from the verandah pillar.
'Look here--look up and be yourself again. Maybe there is very
little the matter. Wait and see.'

'Wait!'--Hazel repeated. 'People talk as if waiting was such
easy work!'

'I never said it was easy,' said Primrose gently. 'But some
people have to wait all their lives.' There was the very
essence of patience in the intonation.

'I should think their lives would be short.'

Primrose sighed a little and was silent. Perhaps she thought
that those who had little occasion to practise the grace were
unreasonable. But I think she only remembered that the one
near her was very unpractised.

'Forgive me--I do not mean to--be--' the girl faltered out, the
tremor coming back to her voice. 'But Reo!--' And with that,
pain and disappointment and chagrin joined forces; and
quitting her pillar, Hazel dropped down by one of the great
wicker chairs, and laying her head there burst into a passion
of weeping that almost made Primrose wish for the hard-edged
calm again.

So she stood passively by until the storm was spent; and Dr.
Maryland having satisfied his book quest, came out again,
awakening to the fact that it was time he and Primrose were
jogging homeward. Primrose took him aside and explained the
situation of affairs, after which Dr. Maryland, too, forthwith
betook himself down the slope in the direction where Mr.
Falkirk and Rollo had disappeared. After a little interval of
further suspense he was seen coming back again. He reported
that Reo was not much hurt; had been a good deal bruised, and
the accident had threatened to be serious; but after all no
great harm was done. Primrose nevertheless begged that her
father would go home without her; she could come with Duke,
she said.

Dr. Maryland's wagon had not been brought round, however, when
a very different vehicle appeared, climbing the steep; and
Primrose proclaimed that Mrs. Powder was at hand. The carriage
drew up before the verandah, and from it descended the ex-
Governor's lady, and two young ones--Miss Annabella and
another. Mrs. Powder was a stately lady, large and dignified;--
those two things do not always go together, but they did in
her case. She was extremely gracious to all the members of the
little group she found gathered to receive her. Then, as Dr.