if she can make him love her again, oh, it gives
me a graveyard heart. No, I never could have done it! You are bigger
than I ever was. I should have turned coward, sure."

"I am a coward," admitted Elnora. "I am soul-sick! I am afraid I shall
lose my senses before this is over. I didn't want to come! I wanted to
stay, to go straight into his arms, to bind myself with his ring, to
love him with all my heart. It wasn't my fault that I came. There was
something inside that just pushed me. She is beautiful----"

"I quite agree with you!"

"You can imagine how fascinating she can be. She used no arts on me. Her
purpose was to cower me. She found she could not do that, but she did a
thing which helped her more: she proved that she was honest, perfectly
sincere in what she thought. She believes that if she merely beckons to
Philip, he will go to her. So I am giving her the opportunity to learn
from him what he will do. She never will believe it from any one else.
When she is satisfied, I shall be also."

"But, child! Suppose she wins him back!"

"That is the supposition with which I shall eat and sleep for the coming
few weeks. Would one dare ask for a peep at the babies before going to
bed?"

"Now, you are perfect!" announced the Angel. "I never should have liked
you all I can, if you had been content to go to sleep in this house
without asking to see the babies. Come this way. We named the first boy
for his father, of course, and the girl for Aunt Alice. The next boy is
named for my father, and the baby for the Bird Woman. After this we are
going to branch out."

Elnora began to laugh.

"Oh, I suspect there will be quite a number of them," said the Angel
serenely. "I am told the more there are the less trouble they make. The
big ones take care of the little ones. We want a large family. This is
our start."

She entered a dark room and held aloft a candle. She went to the side of
a small white iron bed in which lay a boy of eight and another of three.
They were perfectly formed, rosy children, the elder a replica of his
mother, the other very like. Then they came to a cradle where a baby
girl of almost two slept soundly, and made a picture.

"But just see here!" said the Angel. She threw the light on a sleeping
girl of six. A mass of red curls swept the pillow. Line and feature the
face was that of Freckles. Without asking, Elnora knew the colour and
expression of the closed eyes. The Angel handed Elnora the cand