Now, ma'am, if you are ready ?' 'Good-bye, Miss Garston; we shall meet to-morrow,' returned Lady Betty, standing on tiptoe to kiss me, and as they went out I heard her say in quite a friendly manner to Leah, as though she had already forgotten her grievance,-- 'Is not Miss Garston nice, Leah?
She has got such a kind face.' But I did not hear Leah's reply.
I had not seen the last of my visitors, for about an hour afterwards, as I was finishing a long chatty letter to Jill, there was the sharp click of the gate again, and Uncle Max came in.
'Are you busy, Ursula ?' he said apologetically, as I looked up in some surprise.

'I only called in as I was passing.

I am going on to the Myers's: old Mr.Myers is ill and wants to see me.' But for all that Max drew his accustomed chair to the fire, and looked at the blazing pine-knot a little dreamily.
'You keep good fires,' was his next remark.

'It is very cold to-night: there is a touch of frost in the air; Tudor was saying so just now.

So you have had the ladies from Gladwyn here this afternoon ?' 'How do you know that ?' I asked, in a sharp pouncing voice, for I was keeping that bit of news for a tidbit.
'Oh, I met them,' he returned absently, 'and they told me that you were to dine with them to-morrow.