I was afraid ye'd be dreadin' the police, and maybe stay away for good and all.

The Lord be thanked for all His mercies!' We went in and enjoyed our tea.

We had had nothing to eat that day since breakfast; but better than all was Aileen's pleasant, clever tongue, though she said it was getting stiff for want of exercise.

She wanted to know all about our travels, and was never tired of listening to Jim's stories of the wonders we had seen in the great cities and the strange places we had been to.
'Oh! how happy you must have been!' she would say, 'while we have been pining and wearying here, all through last spring and summer, and then winter again--cold and miserable it was last year; and now Christmas has come again.

Don't go away again for a good while, or mother and I'll die straight out.' Well, what could we say?
Tell her we'd never go away at all if we could help it--only she must be a good girl and make the best of things, for mother's sake?
When had she seen father last?
'Oh! he was away a good while once; that time you and Jim were at Mr.
Falkland's back country.