Her acceptance had been won after a struggle, and
he was racked with suspense as to the effect of this month's separation.
When the door opened, Lettice saw him standing opposite, his tall
figure drawn up to its full height, his handsome face pale with the
intensity of his emotion.

She gave a quick glance, then rushed forward and nestled into his arms
with a little cry of joy.

"Oh, Arthur, Arthur! you have come back! Take care of me! Take care of
me! I have been so miserable!"

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

THE SCATTERED NEST.

Two days later a happy party were disporting themselves on the lawn at
Cloudsdale. Rex and Edna Freer had driven over to spend the afternoon
with their friends, and just as Mary placed the tea-tray on the wicker
table, the postman came marching up the drive, and delivered the only
thing which was necessary to complete the happiness of the party--a
letter from Lettice!

"She has written so little lately, and her letters have been so unlike
herself, that I have been quite uneasy," said Hilary, turning the
envelope round and round, and feeling its proportions with undisguised
pleasure. "I'll give you each a cup of tea, and then I'll read it out,
while you listen in comfort."

The three years which had passed since we saw her last had dealt very
kindly with Hilary. The consequential air had given place to an
expression of quiet serenity which was by no means unbecoming. Her
complexion was pink and white as of yore, and as she presided over the
tea-table, her blue cambric dress fitting closely to the line of her
neat little figure, her tiny feet crossed before her, and her shining
brown hair arranged in its usual fastidious order, it would have been
difficult to find a more favourable specimen of a young English girl.
Norah, seated opposite on the long hammock chair, was still very girlish
in appearance, despite the dignity of eighteen years. She was thin and
lanky, and her cheeks had none of Hilary's delicate bloom, but the heavy
eyebrows and expressive lips lent a charm to a face which was never the
same in expression for two minutes together, and though there could be
no question as to which was the prettier of the two, it was safe to
predict that few people who looked at Norah would be tempted to return
to the study of Hilary's more commonplace features.

Edna was narrow-chested and delicate in appearance, but Rex had
developed into an imposing looking personage; broad-shouldered,