as alone, she made many a pause to watch the little children at their
play. She used to linger, too, wherever the ugly brick walls had been
replaced by the pretty iron railings, with which every good rich man
will surround his gardens, in order that they who have no gardens of
their own may have a chance to see something beautiful too. And
whenever she came to an open gate, the pause was long. She was in
danger then of forgetting her womanliness and her gravity, and of
exclaiming like a little girl, and sometimes she forgot herself so far
as to let her feet advance farther up the gravel walk than in her sober
moments she would have considered advisable.

One bright morning, as she returned home, she found herself standing
before the large house on the other side of the street. For the first
time she found the large gate wide open. There was no one in sight, and
taking two steps forward, Rose saw more of the pretty garden within than
she had ever seen before. She had often been tempted to walk round the
smooth broad walks of other gardens, but second thoughts had always
prevented her. This time she did not wait for second thoughts, but
deliberately determined to walk round the carriage way without leave
asked or given.

The garden belonged to Mr Elphinstone, a great man--at least a great
merchant in the eyes of the world. One of Rose's amusements during the
time she was confined in her sister's sick-room was to watch the comings
and goings of his only child, a girl only a little older than Rose
herself. Sometimes she was in a little pony-carriage, which she drove
herself; sometimes she was in a large carriage driven by a grave-looking
coachman with a very glossy hat, and very white gloves. Rosie used to
envy her a little when she saw her walking about in the garden gathering
the flowers at her own will.

"How happy she must be!" she thought now, as she stood gazing about her.
"If she is a nice young lady, as I am almost sure she is, she would
rather that I enjoyed her flowers than not. At any rate I am going to
walk round just once--and then go."

But it was not an easy matter to get round the circle. It was not a
very large one, but there were flowers all round it, and Rosie passed
slowly on lost in wonder and delights as some strange blossom presented
itself. It took a long time to pass quite round, and before this was
accomplished, her footsteps were arrested by a splendid cardinal flower,
that grow w