cacy of health to account for your
absence. I am anxious to take you about with my own daughters, and
people will think I am purposely keeping you in the background. I do
wish you had given us some intimation of these strange views before you
came to live with us. It will be a continual annoyance to us.'

'Do you think I had better go back to my cousin's in London?' I asked.
'I really do not want to be such a trouble. If you would only let me
be happy in my own way, and stay quietly at home, I should be so
grateful, because you have all been so kind to me that I love to be
here.'

'I really don't know what we shall do with you,' Mrs. Forsyth replied,
in a milder tone. 'I believe General Forsyth has his own plans for
you, and if you will not fall in with them, it would be better for us
all that you should be away from us. However, of course, we cannot
force you to go with us next Wednesday, so I must try and explain it as
best I can to Lady Walker. I need hardly say that General Forsyth will
not be at all pleased about it.'

I left her feeling rather downhearted. Looking at it from their point
of view, I must be somewhat of a trial to them, and yet I knew I could
not act otherwise.

As I was stepping out into the garden again, deep in thought, I was
startled by the sudden appearance of little Roddy Walters from behind a
large tree close to the house. His hands were full of yellow marsh
marigolds and blue forget-me-nots.

'Roddy has brought them for you,' were his first words, as he caught
sight of me.

I had seen the little fellow several times since our first meeting, but
this was the first time that he had ventured to come up to the house to
see me, though whenever I passed through the village he would run after
me, and I had great difficulty in getting away from him.

'How lovely!' I exclaimed, as I took the bunch from his hot little
hands; 'but, Roddy, you ought to be at school. Have you run away?'

He laughed and nodded: 'Bess Brown did take me to school, but she
slapped me, and I runned away, and Jim tooked me down to the water, and
we picked these booful flowers, and I loves you, and Jim said I might
give 'em to you.'

'And who is Jim?'

'Jim is waiting for me, Jim is, he's sittin' on the gate; you come and
I'll show you him.'

He led me down the avenue as fast as his little legs could carry him,
and there on a side gate that led into some fields was a lad about
fifteen. He got down direc