Capricious Caroline

e was so much excitement and bustle in getting away that Caroline had little time

keep very quiet because

that she was to take Betty and Baby down to Mrs. Brenton

out something. Also it was evident that the gloom that had appeared to

crept into their mother's room to say "

ught out

good as we know how, and to

to be welcomed by Mrs

t awaited them at Yelverton, and Caroline quickly

es just made to be danced in and to echo with happy voices-a veritable playground; and Agnes Brenton, who had stud

hey arrived, though plenty

and of arranging all sorts of treats for

milla has let me have the children with me for Christmas. But I intend to make a bargain with her now. I shall insist that she sends

surprised that Mr

so delighted about it, for I confess I have been hoping for this for a long time past. You know how dear Camilla is to me, and I like him immensely.

aynhurst," Caroline answered. She spoke

amilla had prophesied, the world gave nearly all its congratulations to Haverford's betrothed. Mrs. Lancing was very delightful, very pretty-in every way a most charming

n she heard that Mrs. Lancing was

iety in the way her thoughts

at scene in the silence of the night would have put them into very close touch with one another. Moreover, i

ancing to excite the imagination, to

eas the older woman saw nothing but a certainty of happiness in this marriage, Caroline, young, unworldly as she was, felt from the very first that there was in this prospective union a doubtf

t Haverford would meet those difficulties in a fir

e had been instantly impressed with the restr

with Camilla's effervescent nature. Surely her fanciful inconsequence, her pretty conceits, he

erself, charged all memory now of the children's mother with pa

hat very mental maelstrom of only a few hours before. And already she felt she understood Camilla well enough to be sure that

bout the woman she had learnt to love so

"You can always leave the children with me when you

e either with the children or without them, and day by day

nton asked her on one occasion when they went for a brisk

e had l

elf. Undoubtedly I must have had some beginnin

not answer at once

r heard from M

er head, and the

ord has tried to make her speak, but I shall be ve

ill have tried," said

many things to think about just now. I

er the completion of the decorations to

nation. They had run out of gold and silver paper, and there w

ose to the

hat I will do. I will ask Mrs. Brenton

Betty, who was like her mother in more than one thing. She pleaded to

ement, only suggesting that Caroline should

she found herself alone, away from the warmth and the cosy atmosphere of the busy household, she should drift into comparisons; t

ty, it was for herself as that little, lonely creature left to pick what

r present circumstances emp

r she had spent in that old schoolhouse had, it is true, been less lonely than most, for two other little children had been left to shar

st Christmas. Shall I ever forget that dull, long, miserable, foggy day! It seemed as if it would never end. M

made her gasp for breath every now and then, but it stung the colour in

o afraid it can't last. She is so sweet, so affectionate"-the "she" was Camilla

scribbled a word to the girl in reply. She wrote to Mrs. Brenton, she telegraphed, she telephoned,

hard to leave them. I almost think," said Caroline, a little unsteadily, "that I was better off when I had no chance of g

was in its wintry aspect, it had alw

standing high above the hedge, on whic

she said to herself. But she defe

de as she left the town; she was laden

on, when a cab overtook her. It was an open fly, and a man

rise she recognized Rupert Haverford, who quickly

"But it is getting quite da

laug

s a straight road, on

he began to unload her arms. "This looks like Christ

ust stop a little way down," she said, "because I want to get s

ab, Rupert Haverford put a qu

at train Mrs. L

d just before dinner. At least, I heard Mrs. Brenton arranging that the carriage should go t

id Haverford. But that was all he said; he beg

been expecting to hear

id "No," in

oked

must have expecte

at you might forget to write, or that you were so annoye

d with you," said

you? I thou

e while in silence, and t

to stop, please? I must

got out

gh for you to reach,"

ne agreed, "but I am sure I ca

lau

them with

nd reached up to the bush tha

e thank

n looking everywhere for those red berries, and s

he cab and jolting on ag

ntelligence to give you about yourself. I should have written to you days ago," he went on quickly, "but my mother is rather a difficult person to

him to continue. Nevertheless, her h

Baynhurst's only sister. From what I can gather, this sister must have been very dear to him. I am really as much a stranger to my mother's life as yourself, Miss Graniger. Beyond knowing that she married Mr. Bay

Caroline spoke, her voice sou

mother and my f

ly a very delicate woman, was left in the charge of her brother Gerald, and he was al

een difficult to have grasped from his tone

me a quantity of old letters and other papers which I dare say will throw some light on your early history. You seem to h

tely to Miss Beamish, my old s

Cuthbert was at that time such a delicate child that her whole thought and care had to be given to him, and she herse

d. It was not a

rst never did care about r

re securely on the opposite seat, and the colour r

id, "and that is if I have been kept by charity al

f Yelverton now, and Rupert Ha

ve more to communicate to you; but we cannot go into this properly now. As I shall be her

sensation through her heart to realize that all this time, when she had imagined herself forgotten (when, in

led up to the big do

am going to answer very well, and you can't think how glad I am to be with the children. I do see now," Caroline said quickly, "that I ought to

m not angry,"

nto the house, and as Mrs. Brenton came forward to gre

e was a pressure on her heart, and she hardly felt prepared to meet the chi

h her a large brown glove. It was warm still with the imprint of the man's strong ha

e derived, quite unconsciously, a definite sense of pleasure

et," she said to herself; "it