The Convert

ty expected that night, straight upstairs she went behind the footman, and then up more stairs behind a maid. The smart, white-capped domestic paused, and her floating muslin streamers

t in these days does duty as the peculiar hall-mark of the upper servant, being seldom

see the baby, mi

e others are expecti

h a little girl and a very small boy celebrated the lady's entrance. She, for her part, joined the austere nurse in saying, 'Sh! sh!' and in simulating consternation at the spectacle behind the screen, Miss Sara jumping up and down in the middle of her bed with wild brown hair swirling madly about a laughing but mutinous face. The visitor, hurrying forward, received the impetuous little girl in h

out of the inside pocket of her cloak

wailed the smaller Tunbridge. 'I tol

've got two bocks. Let me g

own 'bock' the better to clin

ecil sounded the h

ht! Lady Gladys was a little lady and never did anything!' The merry eyes shamelessly invited Miss Levering to mock at Dampney's former charges. But the visitor detached herself from Miss Sara, and wishing apparently to ingratiate herself with the offended majesty of the nurse, Miss Levering said gravely over her shoulder, 'Now, lie down, Sara, and be a good girl.' Sara's reply to that was to (what she called) 'diddle up and down' on her knees and emit shrill squea

the tousled pillow to the head of the bed, extracted Miss Sara from her hiding-place with one hand, smo

l that? Mother always

she's been and don

ain if father do

r, so you needn't think she can come twice t

y a Jumping-Jill

e Master Cecil was com

ith that thing all

lady had unwound her lace scarf-'Now the coat! And

u are pretty to-night!' observed the gallant young gentleman over the way

loak had hitherto obscured. The little girl followed with critical eyes the movement of the tall figure, the graceful fall of the clinging black lace gown embroidered in yellow irises, the

very

re were yellow dia

but these ar

ittle ston

ey're di

n thing is such

shape. It's the flower of France, y

ing whisper came from th

Miss Levering bent her neat, dark head over the l

of grandfatherly disgust; '

because a feather pillow hit you.' Her

unger than you,' Miss

iority-'a whole year and eight months.

colt.' Contrary to received canons, the visitor seemed to find something reas

achievements. 'We waked up early, and Sara said, "Let's go mountaineering." So we did. All over the ro

e up the chairs and thin

e coal

airs wobbled, the coal and the pillows kept falling about;

ink so,' agr

s when Sara excaped to t

' Miss Leve

st perfectly fascinating ti

little face quite pink with excitement

ved piece-she says that's the Schreckhorn!-but she'd come down off it,

e wh

she c

when we're happiest she al

said Miss Levering, laying her lau

counterpane as though he'd seen as much valuable time wasted as he

eld fast to her friend. 'It's for me

igators!' said Ceci

ators! I want to kn

ied that the human intelli

u like her better

I ought to like

from

ged to you, too,'

cour

rsued, 'don't like thei

iss Levering, with an el

me,' said Cecil, with the air of

ha

you the minute I

ing dead. It isn't a proper how-d

g you wh

He flung down the covers with the decision of

y won't have yo

d out of bed and leapt into her lap. He clasped his arms round h

out the a

tested Sara, pushing h

lly will hav

ce of the interloping brother. And now of his own accor

d. 'I don't like that h

sat up with ala

hold it.' It was as if she well knew the deft little hands she had delivered the ornament to, and knew

il replaced his arms firmly

y in the warm lining. The comfort of the arrangement was so great, and it implied so little

little girl was absorbed in the necklace after her strenuous hour; the boy, content for a moment, having gained h

, without the verifiable movement of a muscle, something none the less that would have minded the beholder

seeing the brooding look, it was plain he had the sense of being somehow lef

ou like that. T

t?' said

den inspiration, 'Uncle Ronald says y

are

fink as old as me? Oh, you only laugh, just like Uncle

never

ell, it's because

ea

l beady ladies,

the shining jewels lightly through her slim fingers, and began gently to swing the

be to try it on, but for the moment Sara ha

ard things on their sho

lders?' Miss L

in the way o

n their dresses,' exp

cuddled his impudent round face luxuriously on the soft lace

ent-mindedly, as she tried the effect

' amended Cecil. 'They'r

's be

oo!" make music with when you're fighting the enemy. My grandmother thinks bugles are little shiny black things only about tha

ara; 'only they're usurally

ming! Now, what will s

re of Nurse Dampney emerged from behind the tall chintz screen that protected the cots from any draught through the opening door. Cecil, with an action of settle

as that old

aster C

Levering carried

, miss, to know if you've c

s it a quarter

twenty minu

downstairs, clasping the shining thing round her neck as she went-a

It was the effect that haste and contrition frequently wrought in her-one of the

e charm in this new-comer into London life, tried to copy the ef