ions there," he added, lightly touching the flowers on
her lap.

"Yes; Mr. Ryan gathered them after breakfast."

She spoke the words without thinking about them at all, and she was not
looking at Arnold when she uttered them. If his face changed, she did
not see it.

"So he is beginning to give her flowers already," Arnold thought.

Meanwhile Elsie was wondering whether he had yet seen Mrs. Verdon. The
two widows had travelled down to Rushbrook on Monday, and this was
Wednesday.

"Jamie must be delighted to be here," she said after a little pause.

"He is quite radiant," Arnold replied. "What lungs the boy has! I could
hear him shouting as I walked up the lane to The Cedars yesterday
afternoon."

"So he has called on her already," Elsie thought.

"Mrs. Verdon is afraid of the river," he went on. "The young rascal
wants to make straight for the water; he has brought a regular fleet
with him. They will have to keep a sharp watch."

"He is a dear little man," Elsie said warmly. "If your friend had lived
he would have been proud of his nephew."

"I hope he'll grow up as good as dear old Harold," rejoined Arnold in a
graver tone. "And I hope, too, that he won't miss Harold's influence
over his life. He's in a fair way to be spoilt, you see."

"Mrs. Verdon really wants to do her best for him," said Elsie, with
perfect sincerity. "And nurse is a very sensible woman."

"But it takes a man to manage a strong boy. A woman can't do it alone."

"He will help her to manage him," Elsie thought. "It is right, I know.
This is what Meta would have wished. I am beginning to hate myself."

Aloud she said pleasantly, "I shall call at The Cedars to-morrow, and
say that I will take care of Jamie sometimes."

"I came to ask you all to dine at the Court on Saturday," said Arnold,
after another brief silence. "Mrs. Lennard will come, and so will Ryan;
but Miss Ryan declined. I want you to get acquainted with my old place,
Miss Kilner; there are one or two pictures which you will like, I
think."

"Thank you," Elsie answered frankly. "I am very fond of pictures."

"You were looking at a picture when I saw you first," Arnold Wayne
remarked, gazing at her with remembering eyes. "You were quite absorbed
in it, and saw nothing else. And you only came out of your dream when
the rector shouted a greeting to me."

Elsie smiled, and there was something dreamy in the smile. She had
changed her attitude as she sat on the old trunk, an