thes on the other, and asked your mother which she
would like best to have--what do you think she would say?"

"She'd 'ave _me_!" and a smile of confident satisfaction beamed on the
grinning little face like a ray of sunshine.

"Of course she would! The bag of sovereigns would be no use at all
compared to you. So you see we cannot buy everything with money."

"But--most things?" queried the boy--"Eh?"

"Most things--perhaps," Helmsley answered, with a slight sigh. "But
those 'most things' are not things of much value even when you get them.
You can never buy love,--and that is the only real treasure,--the
treasure of Heaven!"

The child looked at him, vaguely impressed by his sudden earnestness,
but scarcely understanding his words.

"Wouldn't _you_ like a little money?" And the inquisitive young eyes
fixed themselves on his face with an expression of tenderest pity.
"You'se a very poor old man!"

Helmsley laughed, and again patted the little curly head.

"Yes--yes--a very poor old man!" he repeated. "But I don't want any more
than I've got!"

One afternoon towards mid-May, a strong yet soft sou'wester gale blew
across Weircombe, bringing with it light showers of rain, which, as they
fell upon the flowering plants and trees, brought out all the perfume of
the spring in such rich waves of sweetness, that, though as yet there
were no roses, and the lilac was only just budding out, the whole
countryside seemed full of the promised fragrance of the blossoms that
were yet to be. The wind made scenery in the sky, heaping up snowy
masses of cloud against the blue in picturesque groups resembling Alpine
heights, and fantastic palaces of fairyland, and when,--after a glorious
day of fresh and invigorating air which swept both sea and hillside, a
sudden calm came with the approach of sunset, the lovely colours of
earth and heaven, melting into one another, where so pure and brilliant,
that Mary, always a lover of Nature, could not resist Angus Reay's
earnest entreaty that she would accompany him to see the splendid
departure of the orb of day, in all its imperial panoply of royal gold
and purple.

"It will be a beautiful sunset," he said--"And from the 'Giant's Castle'
rock, a sight worth seeing."

Helmsley looked at him as he spoke, and looking, smiled.

"Do go, my dear," he urged--"And come back and tell me all about it."

"I really think you want me out of your way, David!" she said
laughingly. "You seem quite