The lady smiled. 'I will give you any flower you like to take away, so choose.'
Betty was not long in making her choice. There were some beautiful white lilies close by—lilies that might have come from the same plant as that one lying between the little girl's hands in church.
'I should like one of those, please,' she said, with sparkling eyes.
She was given, not one, but several, and then was dismissed.
'And I shall never see you again,' Betty said, as she put up her mouth for a kiss. She did not say it regretfully, only as if stating a fact.
The lady stooped and kissed her. 'Not unless I send for you,' she said. 'Can you find your way back?'
Betty nodded brightly, and ran off. The lady stood watching her little figure for some minutes, then she gave a deep sigh, and her face relapsed into its usual stern and immovable expression as she entered her garden and locked the gate behind her.
Betty ran on as fast as she could to join the others. When she reached the oak tree, Douglas and Molly were already there, seated on the ground, busily employed in dividing the provisions for the feast. They exclaimed at the sight of her flowers.
'I've had a lovely adventure,' said Betty. 'Where are Bobby and Billy?'
'We don't know,' said Molly, rising to her feet and looking anxious. 'I'm sure they ought to be here by this time.'