mmar. Please, Mrs.
Willis, don't go away."

"I'll come back presently," said Mrs. Willis; she crossed the lawn as
she spoke, leaving the fascinating book open on Nora's sofa.

"How tiresome of you both to come and interrupt," said Nora in her
crossest tone. "Molly, you look positively dishevelled; and Guy, you
needn't wear those worn-out tennis shoes when you come to the Grange.
You really, neither of you, have the least idea of what is due to our
position."

"Our position be hanged," growled Guy. "Look here, we have come to say
something, and as it's particularly unpleasant, you had better listen as
quietly as you can."

"Then I'm sure I don't want to hear it; I hate and detest unpleasant
things. You know I do, don't you, Molly?"

"Yes, darling," said Molly, kneeling down by her; "but sometimes bad
things must come and we must be brave and bear them."

She knelt down by Nora as she spoke, and laid her hot, and not too clean
hand, on Nora's pretty fresh sleeve.

"I do think its unkind of you to rumple up my frock like that," said
Nora; "if you don't care to look nice, I do, and if you've got
unpleasant news, you shouldn't tell it to me; for the doctor says that
I'm not to be worried at present. I'm getting well nicely, but I'll be
thrown back awfully if I'm worried."

"That can't be helped," said Guy in a firm voice. "Sometimes unpleasant
things have to be borne. It's no worse for you than for the others."

"Oh, Nonie, Nonie," sobbed Molly, burying her head on her sister's
shoulder; "it's this, it's this: Guy, you mustn't be cruel; remember she
is weak. Nora, darling, we wouldn't tell you if we could help it, but
you must know, because everyone else will know. The Towers is sold. The
dear old home is ours no longer. We are not the Lorrimers of the Towers
any more."

CHAPTER XIX.

TOPSY-TURVEY.

While Guy and Molly were in vain endeavouring to comfort Nora, who,
after uttering shriek after shriek, closed her eyes and lay perfectly
still, so much so, that Molly thought for a moment that she had fainted,
Sir John Thornton left his own private study, where he had been busily
writing letters, and stepping out on the lawn, approached the spot where
Hester and Annie, in their cool white dresses, were picking flowers to
replenish the vases in the different sitting-rooms. The girls made a
pretty picture, and Sir John always admired beauty in any form and under
any guise.

"Really, Hester is becoming qui