e's
face lengthened a little--'Kester will have to wait for his new suit,
and the poor boy is so shabby! Cyril went up to his room to tell him so;
because his leg was so painful, he had gone to bed early. Of course,
Kester said he did not mind a bit, and he would much rather that mamma
had her new gown and could go out and enjoy herself; but, all the same,
it is a little hard for Kester, is it not?'

'I don't think boys care about their clothes quite so much as girls do.'

'Oh, but Kester does; he is almost as particular as Cyril. He does love
to have everything nice, and I know he is ashamed of that old jacket. He
has outgrown it, too, and the sleeves are so short; and now he is so
much with Captain Burnett, he feels it all the more. Oh, do you know,
Miss Ross'--interrupting herself--'Captain Burnett is going to drive
Kester to Brail in his dogcart!'

'That will be very nice. But, Mollie, you really must leave off
chattering; you have translated this sentence quite wrongly. This is not
one bit the sense.' And Mollie did at last consent to hold her tongue.

Audrey took her mother into her confidence that afternoon as they were
dining together, and told her the whole story about the black silk
dress. Mrs. Ross was much interested.

'How very nice of him!' she said, in just the sympathetic tone that
Audrey expected to hear. 'I said from the first that I liked Mr. Blake;
I told your father so. He is a good son. I am not a bit surprised that
his mother dotes on him. I am sure I should if he were my son;' and Mrs.
Ross heaved a gentle little sigh under her lace mantle.

She knew her husband had ardently desired a son, and, until Michael's
troubles had made him almost an inmate of the house, there had been a
certain void and unfulfilled longing in Dr. Ross's breast. Not that he
ever spoke of such things; but his wife knew him so well.

'Perhaps one day he will have a grandson,' she thought; for her motherly
imagination loved to stretch itself into the future.

'Don't you think we might ask Mrs. Blake to dinner next week, when your
cousin Rose is here?' she observed presently. 'Rosie will be charmed
with her; and we could get the Cardells to meet her, and perhaps the
Vicar and Mrs. Boyle. You know they have not been to dine with us for a
long time.'

'Very well, mother. I have not the slightest objection,' returned
Audrey, who had in fact been leading up to this. 'I suppose you will ask
Gage too?'

'Oh, of course!'