accompanied the words brought the colour into her face.

"Not yet," she responded; "but one's bright days always fly."

The tone touched his heart. It told him that her bright days had been
few. What he would have said was never known; words were rising to his
lips when Mary Danforth came running back to them at a girlish speed.

"Oh, Arnold, how you are loitering!" she said, panting. "You will be
late at church, naughty boy! It's a dreadful thing for the Squire to set
a bad example, Miss Kilner."

"Isn't it rather warm for such violent exercise, Mary?" he asked in a
lazy voice. "A cool face is a blessing to its possessor and all
beholders."

Mary had the complexion that flushes easily. The glow which overspread
her face was not becoming, but she felt that she was a martyr in a good
cause. She had run back to separate her cousin from the dangerous Miss
Kilner. Lily, whose eyes were on Francis, was hastening after her.

As to Francis, he was beginning to be piqued by Elsie's gentle
indifference, and he had a vague suspicion that Wayne was carrying on a
flirtation with her instead of attending to Mrs. Verdon. Lily's
light-grey eyes were not as beautiful as Elsie's brown orbs, but they
were pretty enough when they glanced at him in mute reproach. He felt he
had neglected Lily.

Mrs. Verdon did not follow the Danforths when they ran back to the
Willow Farm people. She sauntered slowly on talking with their father;
but, when the two parties came together and melted into one, her
greetings were very gracious.

Elsie, who was somehow edged out of the group, found herself walking
alone. The Danforths were breaking the quietness of the meadows with
their laughing voices. She was glad to escape them and overtake nurse
and Jamie.

The boy met her gladly, putting his little warm hand into hers. And only
a woman with a heartache can understand the comfort that she found in
the clasp of that childish hand.

"We're going to church," said Jamie. "You shall sit by my side. It ain't
a very pretty church."

"Oh, Master Jamie, 'ain't' again!" nurse murmured, in a tone of mild
reproof.

"But there's nice things in it," continued Jamie, paying no attention to
the good woman. "There's a man, cut out of stone, lying on his back, and
he's lost his nose. He twies to put his hands together, but can't, not
properly, 'cos some of his fingers has come off."

"I should like to see him," remarked Elsie, "very much."

"I'll show him t