e; now listen!'

Elfie ran breathlessly into the house one afternoon in great
excitement. She had been for a walk, and had come in late for tea.
Agatha was writing letters at her davenport in the drawing-room, and
Clare was still toying with her cup of tea. A book was in her lap, but
her thoughts were far away. Her face still wore its sad and somewhat
wistful look; yet there was gradually dawning upon it the sense of
repose and rest. Her sisters noted the old fretfulness and
restlessness had gone out of her tones, and whilst Elfie wondered,
Agatha rejoiced that trouble had not hardened or embittered her.

Elfie threw herself into a seat, looking the picture of health and
fresh young beauty.

'I have been to the pine woods,' she began eagerly, 'and I was
rejoicing in my solitude, and walking along through the very darkest
part, when I heard voices coming towards me. I wondered if it would
turn out to be Major Lester and any of his friends, for I knew he had a
private gate into the wood from his grounds. So, not wanting to meet
any one, I turned down a side path, and then if you please came plump
against the very man I wanted to avoid--Major Lester himself. He quite
started when he saw me, but took off his hat and tried to be civil.
You know I have been introduced to him at the Millers'. I apologised
if I were trespassing, and then he said with a little bow, "I do not
wish to keep my neighbours at a distance, Miss Dane; you are welcome to
use any foot-path through my woods. I have no secrets on my property,
I am thankful to say!" I thought that rather nasty of him, for I knew
he meant our cupboard, but I murmured something polite, and was just
going to turn back, when the voices I had heard came nearer, and
suddenly two strange young men came down the path in front of us. You
should have seen Major Lester's face; he stared as if he couldn't
believe his eyes, and his hand resting on his stick trembled as if he
had the palsy. Then he made a step forward,--

"Roger, my boy, is it you, or do my eyes play me false?"

'Before I could get away, one young man said in a most emphatic voice,
and rather sternly too, I thought, "I have brought him back to you,
uncle, and he will tell you for himself whether my poor father or I had
any hand in his disappearance!" Then I made my escape; I heard them
all talking at once. Isn't it exciting? The lost ones have come back.
I think they had walked from Brambleton station-