ery inconvenient separating medium, which prevented them from going
constantly to Paris and Rome. To judge by all that appeared, the sky
had no colours for them, and the wind no voices, and the flowers no
speech. And as for the Bible, and the hopes and joys which take their
source there, they knew no more of it _so_ than if they had been
Mahometans. They took no additional pleasure in the things of the
natural world, because those things were made by a Hand that they
loved. Poor people! and Lois knew they were poor; and yet--she said to
herself, and also truly, that the possession of her knowledge would not
be lessened by the possession of _theirs_. And a little pensiveness
mingled for a few days with her enjoyment of Appledore. Meanwhile Mrs.
Wishart was getting well.

"So they have all gone!" she said, a day or two after the Caruthers
party had taken themselves away.

"Yes, and Appledore seems, you can't think how lonely," said Lois. She
had just come in from a ramble.

"You saw a great deal of them, dear?"

"Quite a good deal. Did you ever see such bright pimpernel? Isn't it
lovely?"

"I don't understand how Tom could get away."

"I believe he did not want to go."

"Why didn't you keep him?"

"I!" said Lois with an astonished start. "Why should I keep him, Mrs.
Wishart?"

"Because he likes you so much."

"Does he?" said Lois a little bitterly.

"Yes! Don't you like him? How do you like him, Lois?"

"He is nice, Mrs. Wishart. But if you ask me, I do not think he has
enough strength of character."

"If Tom has let them carry him off against his will, he _is_ rather
weak."

Lois made no answer. Had he? and had they done it? A vague notion of
what might be the truth of the whole transaction floated in and out of
her mind, and made her indignant. Whatever one's private views of the
danger may be, I think no one likes to be taken care of in this
fashion. Of course Tom Caruthers was and could be nothing to her, Lois
said to herself; and of course she could be nothing to him; but that
his friends should fear the contrary and take measures to prevent it,
stirred her most disagreeably. Yes; if things had gone _so_, then Tom
certainly was weak; and it vexed her that he should be weak. Very
inconsistent, when it would have occasioned her so much trouble if he
had been strong! But when is human nature consistent? Altogether this
visit to Appledore, the pleasure of which began so spicily, left rather
a flat tas