ure. That of the Merrifield family took place at the junction, where Lady M

seeing Mysie and Primrose off with nurse on their way to the ancestral Beechcroft, whence Mysie was to be fetched to Rotherwood. The last t

ing himself for so doing-that Mysie expended more feeling in parting with Sofy, the kitten, than with her sisters, not p

crowd of examples of other people's misfortunes. The difference is in the greater elasticity and power of being distracted by outward circumstances; and thus lookers-on never guess at the terrific possibilities that have scared the imagination, and the secret ejaculations that have met them. How many times on that brief journey had not Gillian seen her father dying, her

he inhabitants of the two places had their separate churches, and knew their own bounds perfectly well; but to the casual observer, the chief distinction between them was that Rockstone was the more fashionable, Rockquay the more commercial, although the one had its shops, the other its handsome crescents and villas. The station was at Rockquay, a

path beyond. There was a gate in the wall, the key of which Aunt Jane kept in her own pocket, as it gave near access to certain rocky steps,

little conservatory attached to the drawing-room at the end, but the verandah had glass shutters, which served the purpose of protecting tender plants, and also the windows, from the full blast of the winter storms. Miss Mohun was very proud of the

one of the chief partners in the marble works, which went on on the other side of the promontory, and some people said would one day consume Rockstone altogether. It was a very fine house, and the gardens were report

tight-curled tail amid his barks, at sight of Aunt Jane, but capered wildly about the Sofy's basket, mu

solemn, to-be-minded voice, and he cr

this is our cat. Do you hear?

ink assent-a very

as her aunt's fingers und

all!' said

of wild bounds, first on a chair-back, then on the mantelpiece, where, between the bronze candlestick

who had some presence of mind, accomplished it with soo

in spite of the 'Oh, don'ts,' and even the tears of Valetta, the two were held up-black no

ain took no more notice of his enemy, whom Valetta was advised to carry into Mrs. Mount's quarters to be comforted and m

particulars of the family dispersion. Aunt Ada's welcome was not at all like that of Kunz. She was very tender and caressing

rk, and the little fire lighted it up in a friendly manner. Wherever Aunt Jane was, everything was neat; wherever Aunt Adeline was, everything was graceful. Gillian was old enough to like the general prettiness; but it somewhat awed Val and Fergus, who st

unpacked their evening garments, 'Isn't there

ll ever let us make a mess,' said

ckered up in the way only

, you know; you will go to school, and get some frie

te fr

, V

Mysie is gone to h

ere but there she should be free for her 'great thing.' And oh! above all, Val's hair-the brown bush that Val had a delusion that she 'did' herself, but which her 'doing' left looking

are charmed to have anything young in the house, especially a boy. She took Valetta's refractory mane in hand, tied her sash, inspected Fergus's hands, which had succeeded in getting dirty in their inevitable fashion, and und

ge specimens of young ladies,' repl

at Miss Mohun and Miss Ada wi

to say?' asked Aunt Ja

children would be far less troublesome if they had a place to themselves, and she said, 'Well, Val, you shall have the bo

at, Aun

y awful voice, which impressed Fergus the

Fergus,' said Gillian; 'you are not

'Fergus is what Lois calls

lled names,' e

d got on the same side as the tongs! She said she never saw suc

sponded Fergus, while both aunt and sis

round! Perhaps you would not believe, Gill, that Aunt Ada was once in a scrape, wh

room, not a very spacious place, and with a window leading out to the leads. Aunt Jane proceeded to put the children on their

been agreed that all should cheat as desperately as possible, except 'honest Phyl,' who couldn't; and how, by some extraordinary combination, good for their morals, she actually was the winner. It was immensely interesting to see the identical much-worn sheet of dilapidated pictures with the padlock, almost close to the goal, sending the counter back almost to the beginning in search of the key. Still mor

nted the two children from being in time for the schools, to which they were to go on the Monday. Some of Aunt Jane's many occupations on Saturday consisted in arranging with the two heads of their respective schools, and likewise for the mathemat

d Fergus to go down to the beach with the little Varleys, while she went to her district, leaving G

rward to many such afternoon pastimes, and then, by an easier way than the hundred and a half steps, they proceeded down the hill, the aun

Ada, as they had a glimpse of a gra

o to chur

n Sundays; but Jane takes the school-children

is the pari

Gillian Merrifield. Yes, my sister is come home. I think she will be at the High School.

said it was a

istrict. Ah, it was all b

was the clergyman here, an

h him and Lord Rotherwood in those days that look so

entreated Gillian; and her

climate might be good for dear Claude, and Jane came to live with him and help him, and look after him. You see there were a great many of us, and Jane-well, she didn't quite get on with Alethea, and Claude thought she wanted a sphere of her own, and that is the way she comes to have more influence than any one else here. And as I am alw

's? Oh, it is beaut

r. You will see

t were ou

Mr. Hablot is the vicar; but as it is very poor, we keep the charities all in one. Rotherwood built splendid schools, so we only have an infant school for the Rockstone children. On Sunday, Jane assembles the older children there and takes them to church; but in the afternoon they all go to the Nationa

said Gillian, laughing

o anything without her. There are so few permanent inhabitants, and when people begin

tty spire, on the ri

Flight mistook and called it St. Kenelm's, and St. Kenelm's it will be to the end of the

he build th

hapel, and he is nothing but a curate of Mr. Hablot's

sked,

hey have more money than their brains can carry. They have made that little place very beautiful, quite oppressed with ornament-City taste, you know, and they have all manner of odd doing

rupted by two ladies eagerly asking where to find Miss Mohun, and a few steps farther on a young clergyman accosted them, and begged

nds of another parish, and had been built by, and for, people

en the sands and rocks stretched out to the sea, on the other a broad space of short grass, where there was a cricket ground, and a la

et to bring her heart into her throat, for the last time she had heard that mar

covering, and that it would turn out after all quite an expedition of pleasure and refreshment. Then she said how much she rejoi

duets, and have quite a good account of o

very much,' said

part with you. Besides, you will be such a help to my dear Jane. She never spares herself, y

they were in the midst of well-dressed folks, and Au

n there is a sifting! But now we have you, with all our own Lily

ad been often in India, and made so light of the journey that Gillian was much cheered. Moreover, she presently came in sight of Val and Fergus

entleman, who rose from a green bench in a sunny corner, sayi

Dennis. My niece

for her; but instead of that he and her aunt began a discussion of the comings and goings of people she had never heard of, and the letting or not letting of half the villas in Rockstone; and she found it so dull that she had a

over the shingle to meet them, finding an endeavour going on to make them tolerably respectable for the walk home, by shaking off the sand, and advising Val to give up her intention of dragging home a b

s in the world, and would have gone home with arms entwined, if Aunt Jane had not declared that such things could not be done in the street, and Cle

lis, and the daughter of a knight, that she exalted Val above all the Popsys and Mopsys of her present acquaintance, and at parting bestowed on

her, that Miss Mohun had to make them walk before her to keep the peace, and was by no mean

phrase supposed to refer to the great peg-top-perpetual-motion invention. He was dragged away with difficulty on the plea of its being too late by Aunt Ja

said Gillian, from the

u are given that w

e for all of you? People are

ring for any outsider. I don't reckon Bessie Merrifield s

ou have been about so much that you have hardly had time to for

to be companionable, said Gillian. 'There was nobody

Jane, who always liked to

Ants. Then Kally-her name was really Kalliope-was very nice, and mamma got them to send her to a good day-school at Dublin, and Alethea and Phyllis used to have her in to try to make a lady of her. There used to be a great deal of fun about their Muse, I remember; Claude thought her very

ling. 'After all, Gillian, in your short life, you have

t deeper, Jane,' su

utside her own family had seemed to 'come like shadows and so depart'; and there was a general sense of depre