looking close into her eyes.

Bright eyes they were. Eyes that would bear a world of looking in,
before their depth was fathomed. Dark eyes, that reflected back the eyes
which searched them; not flashingly or at the owner's will, but with a
clear, calm, honest, patient radiance, claiming kindred with that light
which Heaven called into being. Eyes that were beautiful and true, and
beaming with Hope. With Hope so young and fresh; with Hope so buoyant,
vigorous and bright, despite the twenty years of work and poverty on
which they had looked; that they became a voice to Trotty Veck, and
said: "I think we have some business here--a little!"

Trotty kissed the lips belonging to the eyes, and squeezed the blooming
face between his hands.

"Why, Pet," said Trotty. "What's to-do? I didn't expect you, to-day,
Meg."

"Neither did I expect to come, father," cried the girl, nodding her head
and smiling as she spoke. "But here I am! And not alone; not alone!"

"Why you don't mean to say," observed Trotty, looking curiously at a
covered basket which she carried in her hand, "that you----"

"Smell it, father dear," said Meg, "Only smell it!"

Trotty was going to lift up the cover at once, in a great hurry, when
she gayly interposed her hand.

"No, no, no," said Meg, with the glee of a child. "Lengthen it out a
little. Let me just lift up the corner; just the lit-tle ti-ny cor-ner,
you know," said Meg, suiting the action to the word with the utmost
gentleness, and speaking very softly, as if she were afraid of being
overheard by something inside the basket; "there. Now. What's that!"

Toby took the shortest possible sniff at the edge of the basket, and
cried out in a rapture:

"Why, it's hot!"

"It is burning hot!" cried Meg. "Ha, ha, ha! It's scalding hot!"

"Ha, ha, ha!" roared Toby, with a sort of kick. "It's scalding hot!"

"But what is it father?" said Meg. "Come! you haven't guessed what it
is. And you must guess what it is. I can't think of taking it out till
you guess what it is. Don't be in such a hurry! Wait a minute! A little
bit more of the cover. Now guess!"

Meg was in a perfect fright lest he should guess right too soon;
shrinking away, as she held the basket toward him; curling up her pretty
shoulders; stopping her ear with her hand, as if by so doing she could
keep the right word out of Toby's lips; and laughing softly the whole
time.

Meanwhile Toby, putting a hand on each knee, bent down his nose