"She had eyes like yours, Dad."
Then the observant child looked straight into his father's face.
"But your eyes smile now, they never used to; and they seem to melt when you look at Steppie. You won't take her for a very long ride, will you, and forget all about tea, and us afterwards?"
"I'll try not to," his father assured him, and then he left the room, and twenty minutes later he and Anstice were starting for a ride amongst the Fells. He was talking to her about Ruffie's talent for drawing, and they were arranging that he should have lessons from an artist whom Anstice had heard about and who lived in Penrith, when she suddenly said:
"Do you know the name of the lady whom we met on the Fells?"
"No; one of our neighbours, I suppose."
"It was your sister."
Justin did not speak for a moment, then he said, "Did she make herself known to you?"
"No, I saw she did not wish to do so, but she seemed to be much impressed with Ruffie. Justin, cannot we be friends?"
"What would you have me do?"