that intelligence of which
unconsidered emotion or exclamation form no part.

"It is the first old English house I have seen," she said, with a sigh
of pleasure. "I am so glad, Rosy--I am so glad that it is yours."

She put a hand on each of Rosy's thin shoulders--she felt sharply
defined bones as she did so--and bent to kiss her. It was the natural
affectionate expression of her feeling, but tears started to Rosy's
eyes, and the boy Ughtred, who had sat down in a window seat, turned red
again, and shifted in his place.

"Oh, Betty!" was Rosy's faint nervous exclamation, "you seem so
beautiful and--so--so strange--that you frighten me."

Betty laughed with the softest possible cheerfulness, shaking her a
little.

"I shall not seem strange long," she said, "after I have stayed with you
a few weeks, if you will let me stay with you."

"Let you! Let you!" in a sort of gasp.

Poor little Lady Anstruthers sank on to a settle and began to cry again.
It was plain that she always cried when things occurred. Ughtred's
speech from his window seat testified at once to that.

"Don't cry, mother," he said. "You know how we've talked that over
together. It's her nerves," he explained to Bettina. "We know it only
makes things worse, but she can't stop it."

Bettina sat on the settle, too. She herself was not then aware of the
wonderful feeling the poor little spare figure experienced, as her
softly strong young arms curved about it. She was only aware that she
herself felt that this was a heart-breaking thing, and that she must
not--MUST not let it be seen how much she recognised its woefulness.
This was pretty, fair Rosy, who had never done a harm in her happy
life--this forlorn thing was her Rosy.

"Never mind," she said, half laughing again. "I rather want to cry
myself, and I am stronger than she is. I am immensely strong."

"Yes! Yes!" said Lady Anstruthers, wiping her eyes, and making a
tremendous effort at self-respecting composure. "You are strong. I have
grown so weak in--well, in every way. Betty, I'm afraid this is a poor
welcome. You see--I'm afraid you'll find it all so different from--from
New York."

"I wanted to find it different," said Betty.

"But--but--I mean--you know----" Lady Anstruthers turned helplessly to
the boy. Bettina was struck with the painful truth that she looked even
silly as she turned to him. "Ughtred--tell her," she ended, and hung her
head.

Ughtred had got down at once from his