nd contented."]

"He is his father's right hand already, and does all sorts of things
for him. It is so lovely to see them together. When he went out of
the room for a moment, Mr. Gaythorne told me that he could scarcely
realise sometimes that it was Alwyn."

"He has just Olive's ways," had been Mr. Gaythorne's words. "I could
almost fancy it was my little Olive near me. If he were only stronger
I should not have a wish ungratified, but I cannot help troubling about
his cough. Dr. Luttrell thinks a sea voyage would do him good, but I
do not know how I am to bring myself to part with him.

"Oh, by-the-bye, did Alwyn tell you that Greta Williams is coming to
see us? She was my Olive's friend, so of course she will be welcome,"
and then, in rather a meaning voice, "I rather think she is Alwyn's
friend too."

Olivia made no answer to this remark, but more than once lately she had
noticed that Greta and Alwyn seemed very much engrossed with each
other, and she was almost sure that Marcus had noticed it too.

"Surely Greta would never consent to marry him," she thought. "With
her sad experience she would never venture to link her life with a man
whom she could not wholly respect."

Greta's nature was a noble one. She had lofty aims and a high sense of
duty. In spite of her gentleness she had plenty of firmness and
backbone.

It was one thing to be sorry for her old friend and playmate, and to
show him a sister's tenderness, but quite another to give herself to
him, and more than once Olivia had felt uneasy, but delicacy had led
her to keep her thoughts to herself.

"I do hope she would not carry self-sacrifice to such a length as
that," said the young wife to herself. "Alwyn may be lovable, but he
would never satisfy a girl like Greta. A woman ought to be able to
look up to her husband, as I look up to my dear Marcus, and not be
always trying to drag him up to her level.

"I do want Greta to be married. When her father dies she will be so
utterly alone, but I cannot reconcile myself to her marrying Alwyn
Gaythorne. For one thing, his health is so unsatisfactory that his
wife would never be easy about him. Eyen Marcus owned the other day
that he feared he would never be fit for much. But there is no use in
trying to manage other people's lives. As Aunt Madge says, it takes
all our strength and cleverness to manage our own. 'A meddler is
always a muddler;' how well I remember her saying that. We did