, much
aged since the days at Queen's.

She led Molly through a little hallway into the kitchen opening upon a
small garden now bright with rows of cosmos, graceful and delicate in
color, and brilliant masses of vari-colored, ragged chrysanthemums.

"It's the little Japanese lady that's tended my garden for me all
summer, Miss. She may be a haythen, but she's as good as gold. Our
Blessed Mother herself could not have been kinder."

Molly's heart was filled with admiration for Otoyo, who instead of
moping about by herself all summer had been making herself useful.

"I'm ashamed," she thought. "Madeleine and Judith and Otoyo all make me
feel awfully ashamed."

In the meantime, Mrs. Murphy had spread a cloth on the little kitchen
table and laid out her best cups and saucers. It was her heart's delight
to drink tea with the young ladies.

"And how is the poor gintleman, Mr. Edwin, I mean?"

"He's getting better every day, Mrs. Murphy."

"And I'm that glad to hear the news. It would have been a sad day for
the poor young lady if she had lost him--though, may the Howly Mother
forgive me for saying it, she's not good enough for the loikes of him,
I'm thinkin'."

"Let me pour the tea for you, Mrs. Murphy," Molly interposed, taking the
blue teapot out of Mrs. Murphy's crippled hands after it had been filled
with boiling water. "What young lady did you say it was?" she asked
presently, her eyes on a tea leaf swirling round and round in her cup.

"'Tis Miss Fern, the gintleman's cousin, and they do say they're to be
married before spring. I'm not for sayin' she ain't pretty, Miss. She's
prettier than most and she's kind to the gintleman. Oh, you may be sure
but she's got a different set of manners for him! And the day she had
tea here with little Miss Sen and the Professor, she was all graces, to
be sure. But another day she was here to meet him and little Miss Sen
brought the message he could not come. It was a regular spitfire she
was that day, Miss, and no mistake."

So that was why the Professor had wanted the blue paper weight. Perhaps
there was some reason in his delirium after all.

"Have you seen her, Miss?" asked Mrs. Murphy.

"Oh, yes," answered Molly. "I think she is very pretty. May I look at
your garden, Mrs. Murphy? Dear little Otoyo, I can see her working out
here in the flowers. Don't you just love her, Mrs. Murphy?"

But the Irish woman had gone into the next room to get an old pair of
shears.