us keep our senses and not give way to sentiment at a
crisis like this. Go, my dear; tell her that she must take it in a
quiet, matter-of-fact way, and not consider herself in the very least.
The Squire and your mother, and Guy are the three victims; the rest of
us are of no consequence; go, Molly."

Jane blew her nose very hard after uttering this oration, and there were
suspicious red rims round her eyes.

Molly joined Guy, and they started on their walk to the Grange.

Guy had now quite got over the stunned feeling which oppressed him.
There was a great deal of grit in all the Lorrimers, and Guy and Molly
had both even a larger amount of this most valuable quality than the
younger children. The ground, therefore, no longer swam under the brave
boy's feet, and Molly, now that she was obliged to act, and now that she
knew exactly what was going to happen, felt really less unhappy than
before the blow had fallen.

It was little after ten o clock when the children reached the Grange.
They found Hester and Annie out in the garden picking flowers, and Nora,
looking very happy and very pretty in her new pink cambric, was lying
under a shady tree on the lawn.

"Hullo, what have you come over so early for?" she asked of the two,
as, dusty and hot, they came up to her side. Mrs. Willis was sitting
near Nora, and reading aloud to her. Nora felt immensely flattered by
her attentions, and yet at the same time not absolutely at home with
her. Mrs. Willis could read character at a glance. She had taken an
immense fancy to Molly, and pitied Nora without admiring her.

"She is a shallow little thing," she murmured to herself. "Pretty, of
course, but nothing will ever make her either great or wise. Sweet Molly
is one of the angels of the world."

She rose now to greet the brother and sister as they approached. The
trouble round Guy's handsome eyes was not lost upon her. Poor Molly
looked untidy, and quite worn and old.

"Oh, how the ball has fagged you!" exclaimed Nora; "see how fresh I am,
and kind Mrs. Willis is reading me a charming story."

"I won't read any more at present, my dear," said Mrs. Willis, "as no
doubt your brother and sister want to talk to you."

"Oh, I'm sure they don't," said Nora; "they can't have anything at all
particular to say, and I am so immensely interested. I want to know how
Lucile conquered her difficulties with the French grammar. I have such a
fellow feeling for her, for I always detest gra