ak. "How brown and big you
are!--but you're worth the waiting for. Oh dear, how glad I am you've
come!" And then Rose began to sob helplessly, and needed a deal of
comforting, which Tom was not slow to offer. "There!" said Rose, at
last, pushing him from her, and showing him her dimples for the first
time, "you are wasting all my time; but you can come down to the
church, if you like, and help me to put the roses on the font."

"What for?" asked Tom, unsympathetically, preferring the privacy of the
rose-garden.

"For little Miss Kitty as is to be; that's the new baby at the Court.
And nothing will satisfy Mr. Lessing but that she shall be named after
the one that's gone. Mr. Curzon is coming to baptize her."

"Is he?" cried Tom, eagerly. "I'll come, then, and wait all day for a
sight of him, the best friend I've ever had, Rose, my darling. Shall I
ask him to tie up you and me?"

"Oh!" cried Rose, blushing rosy red, "I had not thought of that yet,
Tom."

"Time you did," said Tom. "I must start back again in a month, and I'm
not going without you."

"Oh no," said Rose. "It seems to come sudden at the last, but I've
waited so long that I'll come when you like. I've not looked at
another man since you went away."

Tom caught her again and kissed her. "And there was plenty to look at
you, I'll bet."

"Yes, plenty," Rose admitted, with a dash of her old coquetry.

Then hand in hand, like two happy children, they walked down the lane
to the church; and Tom stood and handed the flowers, which Rose's deft
fingers arranged round the font. And all that miserable past seemed
blotted out, and a future of perfect happiness seemed opening out
before them. Just as their task was finished, and they stood side by
side admiring their handiwork, the church door was softly pushed open,
and Mr. Curzon entered. Real joy flashed into his face as he
recognized Tom Burney, and saw that Rose was with him; but the words of
greeting were very simple.

"So you've come home, Tom?" he said, as he heartily grasped his hand.

"For a bit, sir--just for a week or two."

"And you will take out Rose with you, I expect?" with a kindly smile at
the pretty, downcast head.

"Well, yes, sir; that is my meaning. And we were thinking, she and I,
as we would not feel rightly married unless you was kind enough to come
and marry us."

"And that I will gladly."

"You're the best friend as ever I had," said Tom speaking with some
eff