lty
about Frisk by taking him up bodily in my arms, and, hurrying off,
reached home only just in time to get ready for dinner before the gong
sounded.

CHAPTER II.

ALECK'S WELCOME.

It is almost unnecessary to remark that the fortnight preceding my
cousin's arrival was one of the longest I had ever spent--even longer
than those preceding birth-days or Christmas. However, the long
looked-for Thursday came at last.

I pleaded hard for a whole holiday, but my mother would not be
persuaded; so I had to do my morning lessons as usual, and confessed,
after they were over, that the hours had passed much faster than I at
all expected.

In consideration of the travellers having, in all probability, had but
little time for refreshment, dinner was to be rather earlier than usual;
and Aleck and I were to have it, for once, with the elders of the
party. Luncheon was also early; and not having the time to go down to
the lodge before it, I went out into the garden with my mother to help
in gathering a nosegay for my aunt's room.

How fresh and beautiful everything looked that morning, as we stood
there amongst the flowers, my mother selecting the materials for the
nosegay, and I holding the basket, and handing her the scissors as she
wanted them, or executing at intervals little by-plays with Frisk. I
remember feeling a kind of intense thrill of happiness, which to this
day is vividly recalled by the scent of those particular roses and
geraniums; and also a sort of dim wonder about the unhappiness which I
had heard and read of as the fate of some--pondering in my own mind how
it felt to be so very unhappy, and whether people couldn't help it if
they would only go out into the fresh air and warm sunshine, and enjoy
themselves as I did. From which speculations I was recalled by my mother
saying,--

"I think we have enough flowers, Willie; perhaps just one creeper for
the outside of the vase. There--we shall do now."

Then we went in by the school-room window, and I fetched the large vase
from the east bed-room, and stood by my mother whilst tastefully and
daintily she arranged the flowers as I thought none but she could
arrange them. She had nearly completed her task when my father came into
the school-room.

"I am sending the carriage early, dear," he said to her; "for although I
think they cannot arrive until the 4.50 train, there is just the chance
of their catching the one before. Have you any messages for Rick