cooling myself by the river now; I'm frightfully hot."

"No, you're not really very hot," said Frances, in the peculiarly
caressing tone she always employed when speaking to her little cousin.
"But I own it is very annoying to have to wait for any one--more
particularly when you are doing nothing. Just lay your guitar on the
grass, Fluff, and let us walk up and down under the shade here. I have
something to say to you, and it will help to pass the time."

Fluff obeyed at once.

"You don't look well, Frances," she said, in her affectionate way, linking
her hand through her cousin's arm. "I have noticed that you haven't looked
yourself ever since the day you went to Martinstown--nearly a week ago now.
Now I wonder at that, for the weather has been so perfect, and everything
so sweet and nice; and I must say it is a comfort to have a pleasant man
like Mr. Arnold in the house. I have enjoyed myself during the past week,
and I greatly wonder you haven't, Frances."

"I am glad you have been happy, dear," said Frances, ignoring the parts
of Fluff's speech which related to herself. "But it is on that very
subject I want now to speak to you. You like living at the Firs, don't
you, Fluff?"

"Why, of course, Frances. It was poor mamma's"--here the blue eyes
brimmed with tears--"it was darling mother's wish that I should come
here to live with you and the squire. I never could be so happy anywhere
as at the Firs; I never, never want to leave it."

"But of course you will leave it some day, little Fluff, for in the
ordinary course of things you will fall in love and you will marry, and
when this happens you will love your new home even better than this.
However, Fluff, we need not discuss the future now, for the present is
enough for us. I wanted to tell you, dear, that it is very probable,
almost certain, that I shall have to go away from home. What is the
matter, Fluff?"

"You go away? Then I suppose that is why you look ill. Oh, how you have
startled me!"

"I am sorry to have to go, Fluff, and I can not tell you the reason. You
must not ask me, for it is a secret. But the part that concerns you,
dear, is that, if I go, I do not see how you can stay on very well at
the Firs."

"Of course I should not dream of staying, Francie. With you away, and
Mr. Arnold gone"--here she looked hard into Frances's face--"it would be
dull. Of course, I am fond of the squire, but I could not do without
another companion. Where are you go