."

"She would if she understood," laughed Mrs. Carlyle. "I would too, if I
could."

Irene stood still suddenly in the middle of her pirouetting. "Would you?
Would you, really?" she exclaimed; her cheeks were flushed and her eyes
shone. "Are you really sure I shall not be a bother?"

"Indeed, indeed, I love to have you here, darling." There was no
mistaking the meaning in Mrs. Carlyle's voice. "It is like letting
sunshine into the house. We all love having you--and it is so good for
the girls. They have no real companions here."

When, a few minutes later, Irene went downstairs and into the garden, her
face was grave, but her eyes still glowed. "Sunshine!" Mrs. Carlyle had
called her. She was like sunshine in the house. What a glorious thing to
have said of one--and she had done nothing to deserve it either. Well,
here was her chance. She had not been in the Vicarage those few days
without learning that there was a lot to be done, and few to do it.
Here was her opportunity!

Faith was in the garden looking at the flower bed. "I can't understand
it," she said, in a puzzled voice, as Irene drew dear, "there seem to be
seedlings, or something, coming up all over it. They look like real
flowers, don't they? Or do you think they are weeds? If they are, they
ought to be pulled up, but I don't like to until I know."

"Oh no, let them stay. I am sure they aren't weeds, Faith. Look at
those, they are sweet peas, I am certain they are, and this is young
mignonette."

Faith's face was as puzzled as her voice. "It is a most extraordinary
thing about this bed," she said soberly, "I made it, and then Audrey
didn't like it because we hadn't any nice bedding plants for it, so I put
in a few things that I had given me, phloxes and sunflowers, and
wallflowers, and--oh, I forget quite what, but I forgot all about watering
them, and I thought they were dead, but they aren't. They pulled through
somehow; I never planted any seeds, though, I am quite sure. Yet the bed
is getting to look quite full! I think the fairies must have come at
night, and sown them!"

"Or the brownies," suggested Irene. "We won't watch for them, then
perhaps they will plant some more. They stop working if they are
watched!" she laughed.

"Well, it's brownies, or something, and I want to thank them," said Faith
gratefully, if ungrammatically. "I want to dreadfully. What are you
smiling at, Irene?"

"Was I smiling? Oh Fay, I can'