'Yes,' said Johnnie, with a trembling lip; 'I was cross at doing my
lessons with Aunt Theodora instead of mamma, and I was so sorry. But at
night, something seemed to bring that verse, and I thought the Angels
must have faces like mamma.'

Certainly his father thought so too.

Theodora's Christmas morning was cheered by a letter from Percy, to tell
her that he was to be with Arthur and Violet on this occasion. It was
greater happiness to her than it would even have been to have had him at
Brogden.

It was a very quiet day in Cadogan-place. The full freshness of awe and
reverence was upon Arthur, and though he hardly spoke, and made almost
no demonstration, the strength of his feeling was attested by the
fatigue that ensued, partly, perhaps, from the unwonted effort of fixing
his attention. All the rest of the day he lay on the sofa, silent and
dozing, till in the evening, when left alone with Johnnie, he only
roused himself to ask to have a Bible placed within his reach, and there
losing his way in searching for the parable of the strayed sheep, he
wandered about in the sayings of St. John's Gospel.

Johnnie's delight had been the dressing the cathedral cup with a spray
of holly sent to him from Brogden by his aunt, and now he sat conning
the hymns he had heard in church, and musing over his prints in silence,
till his brow caught an expression that strangely blended with those
dreamy impressions of his father.

'Poor children! they have had a dull Christmas-day!' said Arthur, as
they came to bid him good night.

'No, no, papa; the owl-man has had such a game at play with us in the
dining-room!' cried Helen.

'Yes,' said Johnnie; 'and you know, papa, I never said my hymn to you on
a Christmas-day before. I like to-day the best of all I remember.'

The next day he was glad to find that Johnnie would, after all, have his
share of the festivities of the season. Colonel Harrington came to see
Arthur, and begged to have his little godson at a New Year's party at
his house.

Violet was perplexed. She could not send her little, shy boy alone, yet
she did not like to let his father know that it had been a mistake to
accept the invitation. Percy came to her aid. 'There is no such fun as
a children's party. I wish you would smuggle me in as Johnnie's nursery
governess.'

'You know, Mrs. Harrington, don't you?' said Arthur; 'as a general rule,
you know every one, and every one knows you.'

'Yes, I know her. Come,