hings at once, and Lionel drove her down to
St. Helen's the very day after the reception of Mrs. Hope's note. Imogen
parted from the sisters with a warm embrace, but she clung longest to
Clover.

"You will let me come for a night or two when I return, before I settle
again at home, won't you?" she said. "I shall be half-starved to see
you, and a mile is a goodish bit to get over when you're not strong."

"Why, of course," said Clover, delighted. "We shall count on it, and
Lion has promised to stay with us all the time you are away."

"I do think that girl has experienced a change of heart," remarked
Elsie, as they turned to go in-doors. "She seems really fond of you, and
almost fond of me. It is no wonder, I am sure, so far as you are
concerned, after all you have done for her. I never supposed she could
look so pretty or come so near being agreeable as she does now.
Evidently mountain-fever is what the English emigrant of the higher
classes needs to thaw him out and attune him to American ways. It's a
pity they can't all be inoculated with it on landing.

"Now, Clovy,--my dear, sweet old Clovy,--what fun it is to have you at
home again!" she went on, giving her sister a rapturous embrace. "I
wouldn't mention it so long as you had to be away, but I have missed you
horribly. 'There's no luck about the house' when you are not in it. We
have all been out of sorts,--Geoff quite down in the mouth, little
Geoff not at all contented with me as a mother; even Euphane has worn a
long face and exhibited a tendency to revert to the Isle of Man, which
she never showed so long as you were to the fore. As for me, I have felt
like a person with one lung, or half a head,--all broken up, and unlike
myself. Oh, dear! how good it is to get you back, and be able to consult
you and look at you! Come upstairs at once, and unpack your things, and
we will play that you have never been away, and that the last month is
nothing but a disagreeable dream from which we have waked up."

"It _is_ delightful to get back," admitted Clover; "still the month has
had its nice side, too. Imogen is so sweet and grateful and
demonstrative that it would astonish you. She is like a different girl.
I really think she has grown to love me."

"I should say that nothing was more probable. But don't let's talk of
Imogen now. I want you all to myself."

The day had an ending as happy as unexpected. This was the letter that
Lionel Young brought back that evenin