rford, now she sees the breakfasts I eat? I think she would be
reconciled to any place if she saw me enjoy my food: at the Albert Hall
Mansions I never felt hungry; I was always too tired to eat.'

'I knew Mrs. Fullerton would never repent her sacrifice.'

'No, indeed; mother and I have never been so cosy in our lives. She sits
in the verandah and laughs over my quarrels with Patrick: he is quite as
cross-grained as ever, dear old fellow, but there is nothing that he will
not do for me. We are making a rose-garden now. Do you remember that
sunny corner by the terrace and sundial?--dear Charlie always wanted me
to have a rose-garden there. We have trellis-work arches and a little
arbour. Patrick and Hawkins are doing the work, but I fancy they cannot
get on without me.'

She stopped with a little laugh at her own conceit, and then went on:

'And I am so busy in other ways, Ursula. Every Monday I go to the
mothers' meeting with Mrs. Trevor, and I have some of the old women at
the almshouses besides,--I am so fond of those old women,--and I have
just begun afternoons for tennis; people like these, and they come from
such a distance. Mr. Manners declares the Rutherford Thursdays will
soon be known all over the country.'

'Bravo, Lesbia! you are taking your position nobly, my dear; this is just
what Charlie wanted to see you,--a brave sweet woman who would not let
sorrow and disappointment spoil her own and other people's lives.' Then,
as she blushed with pleasure at my words, I said carelessly, 'Do you
often see Mr. Manners?'

'Oh yes,' she returned without hesitation,--'on my Thursdays, and at
church, and at the vicarage: we are always meeting somewhere. He was
Charlie's friend, you know, and he is so nice and sympathising, and tells
me so much about their school life and college life together. He was so
fond of Charlie, and the undergraduates used to call them Damon and
Pythias.'

'To be sure: Charlie was always talking about Harcourt. He has grown very
handsome, I have heard.'

'Mother says so: he is certainly good-looking,' she answered simply; 'and
then he is so kind. I feel almost ashamed at troubling him so much with
our business and commissions, but he never seems to mind any amount of
trouble. I have never met any one so unselfish.'

I turned away my head to hide a smile. Lesbia was quite serious. She was
too much absorbed in the memory of Charlie to read the secret of Harcourt
Manners's unselfishness: th