ike myself to keep
these two turbulent spirits in order? I am dreadfully afraid the
experiment won't work; and yet--and yet L400 a year is sadly needed to
add to the family purse just now."

The Doctor was pacing up and down his library while he meditated. The
carpet in this part of the room was quite worn from the many times he
walked up and down it. Like many another man, when he was perplexed or
anxious he could not keep still. There came a light tap at the library
door.

"Come in!" said the Doctor; and to his surprise Flower, looking more
like a tall yellow daffodil than ever, in a soft dress of creamy Indian
silk, opened the door and took a step or two into the room.

She looked half-shy, half-bold--a word would have sent her flying, or a
word drawn her close to the kind Doctor's side.

"Come here, my little girl," he said, "and tell me what you want."

Flower would have hated any one else to speak of her as a little girl,
but she pushed back her hair now, and looked with less hesitation and
more longing at the Doctor.

"I thought you'd be here--I ventured to come," she said.

"Yes, yes; there's no venturing in the matter. Take my arm, and walk up
and down with me."

"May I, really?"

"Of course you may, puss. Now I'll warrant anything you have walked many
a carpet bare with your own father. See! this is almost in holes; those
are Polly's steps, these are mine."

"Oh--yes--well, father isn't that sort of man. I'll take your arm if I
may, Doctor. Thank you. I didn't think--I don't exactly know how to say
what I want to say."

"Take time, my dear child; and it is no matter how you put the words."

"When I heard that there was no mother here, I did not want to stay
long. That was before I knew you. Now--I came to say it--I do want to
stay, and so does David."

"But you don't really know me at all, Flower."

"Perhaps not really; but still enough to want to stay. May I stay?"

Flower's charming face looked up inquiringly.

"May I stay?" she repeated, earnestly. "I do wish it!--very much
indeed."

Dr. Maybright was silent for a moment.

"I was thinking about this very point when you knocked at the door," he
said, presently. "I was wondering if you two children could stay. I want
to keep you, and yet I own I am rather fearful of the result. You see,
there are so many motherless girls and boys in this house."

"But we are motherless, too; you should be sorry for us; you should wish
to keep us."