baskets of bright flowers— besides a stand of
plants in the centre window.

The eldest girl, Kate, was writing at a small
table covered with papers near the fireplace.
Ellie, the youngest, was diligently at work
repairing a number of gloves which lay before
her.

I went in first. " I have brought you a new
cousin forty-five times removed, though bodily
present."

Kate, whose back was towards us, sprang up,
and came forward with that unspeakable welcome
in eye, lip, and cheek, which no mere word
can ever say. She was emphatically a woman,
somewhere about twenty-three or twenty-four,
with a tall rich figure, full of splendid outlines,
so easy, so flowing, sinking down into chairs
with careless complete repose, and rising up
into tall stateliness, for which her crouching
attitudes did not prepare you. With masses of
chesnut brown hair, bright and clean, but, alas!
not tidy, tumbling into her ink and over her
paper, and thrust every now and then behind
a tiny ear, showing the round white throat that
looked as if its tint resulted from a diet of
cream and almonds, and under the wide brow
those dark grey eyes, with their long black
lashes and infinite variety of expression! O
Kate, Kate, I was a fool then. O Kate, Kate,
I am a fool still!

Ellie was some six years younger; a slender,
fair-haired, deer-like creature; saucy, and fearless
with the daring of utter innocence; the
confidence of one who had never known a wound.

Both girls had the same grey eyes, but in
Kate's there was at times an intensity of expression,
as though the soul was looking inward;
both had mouths somewhat wider than the rule
of beauty admits, the same brilliant teeth, that
helped to give such radiance to the smile, but
round Kate's lip a tender pensiveness hung
always, though it could laugh right merrily, and
smile right scornfully. " Who is it, Uncle
Harry?" said Kate, giving me her slight hand,
while Ellie familiarly hugged my arm, and
Tulloch stood transfixed by Kate's eyes.

"Ah!" she said. " It must be Jammie Tulloch.
I think I remember his face."

The delighted Scot, albeit not a man of many
words, managed to say that "He could remember
her, though— though she was— " he paused.

"Rather better looking than she promised to
be?" put in Ellie.

Tulloch coloured, and we sat down.

"How is your father?" asked our Caledonian
relative.

"Quite well," returned Kate. "He is out,"
she added, addressing me; " he is gone to Mr.
Timbs. He had a note this morning to say he
had more work for him."

"Ah, yes," I interrupted, for I did not want
them to be over-candid before Jammie. " Your
father's experience must be of great value to
Mr. Timbs."

"I wish he thought so," said Ellie, laughing.

"You have been a long time away from ail
your friends," said Kate to Tulloch. " How
glad you must be to come back?"

"Yes! it is as well to rest awhile; but I am
thinking of joining a concern in the city. It
does not do to let one's money lie idle, and not
to make the most of it."

"Idle," cried Ellie, " certainly not. Amuse
yourself diligently."

"I did not make it for that," returned Tulloch.

"What did you make it for?"

"Do not mind her, Mr. Tulloch," said Kate,
smiling; " she is a saucy girl."

"And what have you been doing with yourselves
since Sunday last?" I asked.

"Oh, nothing particular. Kate has been
working at that crabbed manuscript till her
eyes must ache, and we have been to hear the
band in Kensington Gardens. I saw Miss Goldfrap
there. She is really wonderfully pretty for
such a rich girl. She was with my little girl's
mamma, so I pointed her out to Kate."

Ellie gave lessons in music to some juveniles
at a great house in the neighbourhood, where
she was an especial favourite, being like a concentrated
gleam of sunshine.

"Is that the daughter of Goldfrap, Grimes,
and Co.?" asked Jammie, rather eagerly.

"I do not know about the Co.," said Kate,
laughing, " but the lady's father had a great
house in the city, and she has a large fortune."

"And so you remember me, Miss Mahon?"
asked Tulloch, who had a certain amount of
restless vanity, arising from a doubtful estimate
of himself.

"Yes," returned Kate. "That is, hearing
your name, I know why your face is familiar to
me."

"I was very anxious to see you, very," said
Tulloch, "as Longmore here will tell you,
very anxious, indeed." And the conversation
flowed on easily in an exchange of questions
and compliments— these last somewhat clumsily
offered by Tulloch to Kate, with whom he seemed
suddenly and violently enamoured. I wondered
she took them so kindly, though I confess there
was a tone of rough sincerity about him.

"Let us all go and walk in Kensington Gardens,"
he exclaimed at last. " It is a beautiful
day, and the young ladies have not been out."

"Ah, no," returned Kate, "I have a task to
finish, and must accomplish it. No such pleasant
expedition for me."

"And I have not time," said I, gloomily; " I
have an appointment at four."

"Well; I suppose you go to the Crystal
Palace sometimes?" said Tulloch. " Let us go
down next Monday, Longmore, and myself, and
you two."

"Delightful!" cried Ellie. " Only we must
take papa, and go on Saturday. Monday is
too much crowded."

"Yes, Saturday, if you like it better; but not
this Saturday, I am engaged to dinner."

"Very well, the next," said Kate. "Papa
shall write to you, Uncle Harry. But we shall
see you before; mind you don't stay away again
such a Iong time."

"All Tulloch's fault, my dear girls. He has
been sight-seeing with such pertinacity that