glance full
of interest at the cradle, which Mrs White understood as well as words.
Bending over it she peeped cautiously in amongst the folds of flannel.

"She's so fast, it's a sin to take her up, ma'am," she murmured, "but I
_would_ like you to see her."

Mrs Leigh had now recovered her power of speech. "Don't disturb her
for the world," she said, "I'm not going away yet. I shall be glad to
rest a little. She'll wake presently, I dare say. What is it," she
continued, looking round the room, "that smells so delicious? Oh, what
lovely lilac!" as her eye rested on the flowers in the window.

Mrs White had taken up her sewing again.

"I always liked the laylocks myself, ma'am," she said, "partic'ler the
white ones. It were a common bush in the part I lived as a gal, but
there's not much hereabouts."

"Where did you get it?" asked Mrs Leigh, leaning forward to smell the
pure-white blossoms; "I thought there was only the blue in the village."

"Why, no more there is," said Mrs White with a half-ashamed smile; "but
Jem, he knows I'm a bit silly over them, and he got 'em at Cuddingham
t'other day. You see, the day I said I'd marry him he gave me a bunch
of white laylocks--and that's ten years ago. Sitting still so much more
than I'm used lately, with the baby, puts all sorts of foolishness into
my head, and when you knocked just now it gave me quite a start, for the
smell of the laylocks took me right back to the days when we were
sweetheartin'."

"How _is_ Jem?" asked Mrs Leigh, glancing at a gun which stood in the
chimney corner.

"He's _well_, ma'am, thank you, but out early and home late. There's
bin poaching in the woods lately, and the keepers have a lot of trouble
with 'em."

"None of _our_ people, I _hope_?" said the rector's wife anxiously.

"Oh dear, no, ma'am! A gipsy lot--a cruel wild set, to be sure, from
what Jem says, and fight desperate."

There was a stir amongst the blankets in the cradle just then, and
presently a little cry. The baby was _awake_. Very soon she was in
Mrs Leigh's arms, who examined the tiny face with great interest, while
the mother stood by, silent, but eager for the first expression of
admiration.

"What a beautifully fair child!" exclaimed Mrs Leigh.

"Everyone says that as sees her," said Mrs White with quiet triumph.
"She features my mother's family--they all had such wonderful white
skins. But," anxiously, "you don't think she looks weakly, do you,
ma'a