Nothing was too
unexpected to happen--since Arthur's success had ended in failure, and
she herself had received Rosalind's vows of love and friendship.

"Good things have happened as well as bad," acknowledged Peggy honestly;
"but how I do hate changes! The new pupils may be the nicest boys in
the world, but no one will ever--ever be like Rob, and I'd rather Arthur
had been a soldier than anything in the wide world. I wish one could go
on being young for ever and ever. It's when you grow old that all these
troubles and changes come upon you." And Peggy sighed and wagged her
head, oppressed with the weight of fifteen years.

It was a relief to hear the clatter of horses' hoofs, and the sound of
voices in the hall, which proved that the church-goers had returned
home. Mr and Mrs Asplin had been driven home from church by Lord and
Lady Darcy, and the next moment they were in the room, and greeting
Peggy with demonstrative affection.

"We couldn't go home without coming to see you, dear," said Lady Darcy
fondly. "Rosalind is walking with the rest, and will be here in a few
minutes. A merry Christmas to you, darling, and many, many of them.
I've brought you a little present which I hope you will like. It's a
bangle bracelet--quite a simple one that you can wear every day--and you
must think of me sometimes when you put it on."

She touched the spring of a little morocco case as she spoke, and there
on the satin lining lay a band of gold, dependent from which hung the
sweetest little locket in the world--heart-shaped, studded with pearls,
and guarding a ring of hair beneath the glass shield.

Lady Darcy pointed to it in silence--her eyes filling with tears, as
they invariably did on any reference to Rosalind's accident, and Peggy's
cheeks flushed with pleasure.

"I can't thank you! I really can't," she said. "It is too lovely. You
couldn't possibly have given me anything I liked better. I have a
predilection for jewellery, and the little locket is too sweet, dangling
on that chain! I do love to have something that waggles!" She held up
her arm as she spoke, shaking the locket to and fro with a childlike
enjoyment, while the two ladies watched her with tender amusement. Lord
Darcy had not spoken since his first greeting, but now he came forward,
and linking his arm in Peggy's led her to the farther end of the room.

"I have no present for you, my dear--I could not think of one that was
good enough--but