Miss
Peggy's mental, moral, and physical welfare. Mrs Asplin had a book in
her hand, in which from time to time she jotted down notes of a curious
and inconsequent character. "Pay attention to private reading.
Gas-fire in her bedroom for chilly weather. See dentist in Christmas
holidays. Query: gold plate over eye-tooth? Boots to order, Beavan and
Company, Oxford Street. Cod-liver oil in winter. Careless about
changing shoes. Damp brings on throat. Aconite and belladonna." So
on, and so on. There seemed no end to the warnings and instructions of
this anxious mother; but when all was settled as far as possible, the
ladies adjourned into the schoolroom to join the young people at their
tea, so that Mrs Saville might be able to picture her daughter's
surroundings when separated from her by those weary thousands of miles.

"What a bright, cheery room!" she said smilingly, as she took her seat
at the table, and her eyes wandered round as if striving to print the
scene in her memory. How many times, as she lay panting beneath the
swing of the punkah, she would recall that cool English room, with its
vista of garden through the windows, the long table in the centre, the
little figure with the pale face and plaited hair, seated midway between
the top and bottom! Oh! the moments of longing--of wild, unbearable
longing--when she would feel that she must break loose from her
prison-house and fly away,--that not the length of the earth itself
could keep her back, that she would be willing to give up life itself
just to hold Peggy in her arms for five minutes, to kiss the sweet lips,
to meet the glance of the loving eyes--

But this would never do! Had she not vowed to be cheerful? The young
folks were looking at her with troubled glances. She roused herself,
and said briskly--

"I see you make this a playroom as well as a study. Somebody has been
wood-carving over there, and you have one of those dwarf
billiard-tables. I want to give a present to this room--something that
will be a pleasure and occupation to you all; but I can't make up my
mind what would be best. Can you give me a few suggestions? Is there
anything that you need, or that you have fancied you might like?"

"It's very kind of you," said Esther warmly; and echoes of "Very kind!"
came from every side of the table, while boys and girls stared at each
other in puzzled consideration. Maxwell longed to suggest a joiner's
bench, but refrained out o