himself. But the lady seemed to put
matters straight at once with her soft voice and pleasant smile. And
then she stooped and kissed the small boy by her side.

'I should like you to come and see me very often,' she said. 'I used
to know your grandmother long ago, before I went out to India. Do you
think,' she added, turning to Nurse, 'that he would be allowed to come
to me?'

'I'm sure,' said Nurse, hesitating, 'that if you were to invite him----'

'Then I invite you, Bobby, at once to come to tea with me the day after
to-morrow. I will write a note to your grandmother.'

Bobby's eyes shone with delight

'Me and Nobbles never go to tea with anybody,' he said. 'Do you think
grandmother will say "yes"?'

'I hope she will.'

She nodded at him brightly, then drove off; and Nurse looked after her
with a curious interest upon her face.

'That's the rich young widow, Lady Isobel, I've heard talk about. She
shuts herself up, and won't go out nowheres.'

'Oh, no!' corrected Bobby. 'She wasn't shut up; I sawed her in the
garden.'

'She's had a deal of trouble,' Nurse went on, more to herself than to
Bobby. 'Her husband and only child and favrit sister were all drowned
sudden in a boat out in them foreign rivers, and she come home, and
found her old father dyin'; and she haven't got a relation left, and it
have turned her head, and no wonder!'

'When peoples die,' said Bobby thoughtfully, 'they go away and never
come back; don't they, Nurse? Jane says they're put under ground in
the churchyard, but you told me the angels take them up to God.'

'Don't bother your little head about such things,' said Nurse hastily.
'And don't you be a naughty boy and run away from me again. I feel as
if I shall never get cool. I'm regular done up, and 'twas only a
chance I took the right road; but one of the farm hands saw you runnin'
along.'

The next day was Sunday. Bobby never went to church in the morning,
but very often his nurse took him in the afternoon. And Sunday morning
was his opportunity to slip through the green baize door and wander
over the house, for his grandmother and uncle and aunt always went to
church, and the house was empty. Nurse did not mind his doing it, as
long as he did not get into mischief. This morning he wandered into
the dining-room; the family portraits on the walls always attracted
him. Jenkins, the butler, was arranging the table for lunch, and eyed
him morosely as he appeared.