shall have lots to show her. You'll hardly want to go
back to Salem. It was a long warm ride, wasn't it? Chilian, take off her
hat. Don't you want a drink?"

"I am thirsty," she admitted.

He fixed a glass of lemonade, and lemons were dear at that
period--scarce, too. While she was sipping it, being refreshed in every
pulse, the two men went down to the end of the room for a talk.

"She's dreadfully disfigured," Chilian said in a low tone. "And
Elizabeth wasn't a bad-looking woman. The doctor thinks she can't live
but a few days, her body is growing cold rapidly. I'd like to have the
child out of it all. Death is a great shock and very mysterious to a
child."

"Oh, I'll be glad to keep her, if she will stay content. I wish you
could have brought that woman with you. Poor Elizabeth! How Eunice will
miss her. Chilian, you've been like a son to those women. Women ought to
marry and have children of their own, but children are not always kind.
Yes. After you're rested we'll go home. I'm going to change my office,
get nearer to the business centre, only this is so pleasant with a nice
outlook."

"You ought to retire."

"Oh, what would I do? Like that Roman fellow, buy a farm? I don't know a
bit about farming and don't want to. There's so much going on here."

Presently they returned to the little girl, who was quite refreshed, and
then they went out, as it would be dinner-time presently. Cousin Giles
lived in Cambridge Street in quite an imposing row, though it had no
such spacious grounds as at Salem.

An immaculate black man opened the door and took the men's hats. "Ask
Mrs. Stevens to come down," Cousin Giles said.

Mrs. Stevens seemed a great lady. Eudora Castleton's mother was like
this, always looking as if she was dressed for a party. She had a pretty
silk gown, with some ruffles about the bottom, short enough to show her
clocked silk stockings. The waist was short also, the square neck filled
in with lace, and great balloon sleeves--so large at the top they came
almost up to her ears.

"This is the little girl who came from India, that I told you about, and
who is going to be a great lady some day. When she gets older we'll have
to have her down here to Boston, and give balls and parties for her, and
pick out a fine lover for her; hey, Cynthia?"

Cynthia turned scarlet.

"I think you must be warm and tired with the long stage ride; wouldn't
you like to come upstairs with me?"

Cynthia rose as Cousin