ed, and a pink colour stole into her cheeks.

Bobby's arms were tightly clasped round her neck.

'I never did forget you,' he assured her, 'not before your letter came;
and my picsher is lovelly.'

'And who is this little girl? Is she your little step-sister? How
delightful to have a playfellow. May I have a kiss, dear?'

True willingly submitted to be embraced.

This sweet looking lady won her heart at once.

Then Nobbles was brought forward, and Lady Isobel kissed his little
ugly face.

'Oh, how often have I thought of you and Nobbles when I was so far away
from you!' she said, sitting down and drawing Bobby to her. 'And do
you know, I think it was you who brought your uncle to me. He wanted
to hear about you----'

'Oh, come,' interrupted Mr. Egerton, 'we were old friends; you stole my
best caterpillar when you were a girl. I remember to this day my wrath
when you made your confession.'

'Yes,' said Lady Isobel laughing; 'and I remember why I did it.
Because you tied my best doll round the neck of our old gander, and he
drowned her in a pond.'

The children were enchanted at these reminiscences, but a shadow almost
immediately fell on Lady Isobel's face.

'Ah,' she said with a little sigh, 'that was many years ago. I have
been through a good deal since then.'

'And are you reely going to live in grandmother's house?' questioned
Bobby.

'Your uncle wants to,' said Lady Isobel softly, looking across at Mr.
Egerton as she spoke. 'It is his old home, Bobby; he played in your
nursery many years ago.'

'Yes, I know,' said Bobby. 'Tom said "Master Mortimer be a merry young
gentleman."'

'Ah,' said Mr. Egerton, knitting his brows fiercely, 'wait till I catch
Tom cutting some of my shrubs, he won't find me very merry then.'

'Don't you think you will like to pay us a visit one day, Bobby?'

'I mustn't leave father,' said Bobby promptly. 'May he come too?'

'If he likes; we shall be delighted to see him,' said Mr. Egerton.
'How I wish he was here. Does he have a big beard, Bobby?'

'No, not a little bit of one.'

'But that is quite wrong. You always told me he would wear a beard and
carry an axe and pistol in his belt.'

'Yes,' said Bobby; 'me and Nobbles finked quite wrong about him; only
he's nicer and better and gooder than anybody else. And we sometimes
finks'--he dropped his voice and spoke in a hushed whisper--'that he is
nearly as kind as my Father--God.'

No one spoke for a mome