ng places, for Keith was old
enough to escort his sister, and could be trusted to take good care of
her. In this way, with the addition of various parties and festivities,
the four weeks passed very quickly, and the fifteenth of January brought
Aldred's school trunk once more out of the box-room, and saw her started
on her journey to Birkwood.

Though the holidays had been so pleasant, she was glad to return to
school; she liked the life at the Grange, and the thought of seeing
Mabel again was absolute rapture. The two had corresponded freely, but
writing was not so good as talking, and she was longing for a delightful
private chat, to hear all her friend's news and tell all her own. Mabel
seemed equally delighted at their re-union.

"You darling! How I've missed you!" she exclaimed. "There are simply a
hundred things I want to tell you. If there were not that tiresome
silence rule, I should stop awake till twelve to-night. Leave your
unpacking, and come and sit down on my bed for a minute or two; I'll
help you to get straight afterwards."

"And Miss Bardsley won't be up just yet," said Aldred, accepting the
invitation, regardless of the fact that the greater part of her wardrobe
was still in her box.

"I told Mother all about you," continued Mabel. "You can't think how
much she wants to see you. She's coming to town at the end of the month,
and says she'll run down to Birkwood for an afternoon. I know she'll
like you, and you can't help liking her--everybody adores Mother! I wish
we were sisters, and that you lived at Grassingford, and that she was
your mother too--how lovely that would be! But then, your own people at
home would not spare you. It must be so dreadfully hard for them to part
with you, even to go to school. When I know how I miss you for four
weeks, I can sympathize with them losing you for thirteen. I don't know
how they manage without you!"

Aldred did not say that she considered her family would not be quite so
utterly inconsolable at her absence. She only kissed the sweet, pink
cheek that was pressed against hers, and thought how blissful it was to
occupy so large a place in Mabel's heart, and to find such a warm
welcome awaiting her at Birkwood.

"There's nobody like you!" went on her adorer. "I stayed for a few days
at Archdeacon Vernon's, at the New Year. His daughter is just my age,
and Mother wanted me so much to meet her, for she said she was such an
extremely nice girl. But she was abso