make her doubt the children's welcome. Mr Oswald smiled;
Miss Livy nodded.

"They seem very well-behaved children," said she. "Not at all spoiled."

"We haven't been here long," said Jessie, gravely. "But we are going to
be good, Letty. We promised mamma."

And they were very good, considering all things. Still, it was a
fatiguing day to Violet. She followed them out and she followed them
in; and when they grew tired, and their little legs and their tempers
failed, she beguiled them into the wide gallery, shaded by vines, and
told them stories, and comforted them with toys and picture-books and
something nice to eat. It would have been a better day, as far as the
visitors were concerned, if there had been less to see and to admire.
But the great house and garden were beautiful and wonderful to their
unaccustomed eyes, and they had tired themselves so utterly that they
grew fretful and out of sorts, and were glad when it came night and time
to go home; and so was Violet.

The next day they came they were stronger and better, but they needed
constant attention, lest mischief should happen among them; and, on the
third morning, Violet was not sorry to hear the rain pattering on the
window. Not that she would have minded ten times the trouble for
herself, so that the children were the better for it, but it was as well
not to try Miss Livy's forbearance too far. Miss Livy had had very
little to do with children since she was a child herself, and that
little led her decidedly to agree with the generally-received opinion
that the children of the present day are not so well brought up as
children used to be. This opinion did not make her more patient with
them, but rather less so; and so Violet was not sorry for the rain that
kept her little sisters at home.

At breakfast, the subject of sending the little girls, Charlotte and
Sarah, to the country for awhile was again brought up by their aunt,
and, in the afternoon, Violet, at Mr Oswald's request, went home to
speak to her mother about it; but she had fully determined beforehand
how the matter was to be decided, as far as she was concerned.

However, everything was put out of her mind by the surprise that awaited
her; for, at the bridge house, they were entertaining an angel unawares,
in the person of Miss Bethia Barnes. And was not Violet glad to see
her? So glad that she put her arms round her neck and kissed her, and
then laughed and then cried a little, n