ho found their home on its borders. This lake, I believe,
was the one thing which made the Hervey boys envious. For everything
else they much preferred their own home, which they described as 'ever
so much jollier,' with the moor close at hand, and the fresh breezes
that blew across it at almost all times of the year.

But in Rosamond's eyes, though she had felt the charm of the moorland
also, her aunt's home seemed perfection. All about it was in such
perfect order, and Rosamond dearly loved order. The Moor Edge schoolroom
had been a real trial to her, and as she ran upstairs to her own dainty
little bedroom, she gave a great sigh of content.

'I am glad,' she thought to herself, 'to live here, instead of with all
those boys. Though I _like_ them very much. At least I _would_ like them
if they were just a little quieter, and not quite so squabbly. I wonder
if I had had brothers if they'd have been like that? Perhaps I'm a
little spoilt with being an only child, and I'm afraid I don't want to
have brothers or sisters. All I do want is my own mamma, and that's just
what I can't have. O mamma, mamma, if only you hadn't had to go away and
leave me;' and the tears began to creep up again, as they had got sadly
into the way of doing during the last few weeks, into her pretty grey
eyes.

But she bravely brushed them away again, for she knew that nothing would
have distressed her dear mother more than for her to give way to
unhappiness about a trouble which could not be helped. And after all she
had a great deal to be glad about. Many children, as her mother had
often told her, whose parents were in India, had no home in England but
school, or perhaps with relations who cared little about them, and took
small trouble to make their lives happy. How different from Caryll, and
dear Uncle Ted and Aunt Mattie, and as she reached this point in her
thoughts she heard her aunt's voice calling her, as she passed along the
passage on her way downstairs.

Rosamond ran after her and slipped her hand through Mrs. Caryll's arm.

'You don't feel cold after our drive, do you, darling?' said Aunt
Mattie.

'No, not the least, thank you, auntie,' the little girl replied, and
something in her voice told Mrs. Caryll that Rosamond had cheered up
again.

'Uncle Ted says he would like a cup of tea after his journey,' her aunt
went on, 'and I have a letter I want to send this evening, so you must
pour it out for him while I write.'

Rosamond