he had deemed a terrible misfortune,
that which had laid him on a bed of sickness, had been in truth one of
the happiest events of his life. He had gained much more than he had
lost.

Dick sat for some time in eager expectation of his mother's arrival,
listening to every noise, and keeping his watchful eye on the road which
he could see through the open door. At last there was a sound as of
advancing steps and eager voices; weak as he still was, Dick sprang to
his feet, and in another minute, to his great delight, he was clasped to
the heart of his mother.

CHAPTER XXIX.

EMPTY AND FURNISHED.

"You find the poor cottage in a sad state," was Dick's melancholy
observation, as his mother, after the first loving greeting, seated
herself at his side, holding his thin hand in her own, and looking
tenderly at his pale features.

"O mother, if you had only seen it before the fire!" exclaimed Nelly;
"it was beautiful--quite beautiful--so much better furnished than any of
ours!"

"It will be beautiful again," said Dame Desley, cheerfully; "my boy only
wants a little more Time-money when his strength is perfectly restored.
And I can see," she added, rising and opening the back-door, through
which she could view the garden, "that great pains were once taken
here."

"I have not been able to attend to it since my illness," said Dick; "but
as soon as I am able to set to work again, I will try to get all into
order."

"I must now go and examine the other cottages," said Dame Desley; "I
noticed as I came here that the wall of Matty's had been scorched, and
that the new thatch which has been put on does not look quite so well as
the old; but I hear that the inside has sustained no harm, and I shall
now examine with pleasure the furniture bought by my child."

As Dame Desley was proceeding to the next cottage, which, as we all
know, was that of Lubin, whom should she meet but Mr. Learning, cane in
hand, and spectacles on nose, with a white box under his arm.

"Oh, what on earth brings him here just now!" exclaimed Lubin to Nelly,
ready to stamp with vexation; "as if it were not bad enough to have
mother examining my poor empty cottage, without having him to look on
all the time through those horrid spectacles, that will magnify every
defect. Just hear now how mother is thanking him for all that he has
done for her children, and see what a sly meaning glance he is casting
at me, looking through his glasses, as much as