"You can walk behind, to make sure," said his little saucy sister.
"I daresay," he answered, looking roguishly at her; "and poor Wilmot would have plenty of fun, wouldn't he?"
"Oh, I didn't mean it!" she said, relenting, and coming up to him for a kiss.
Then there was an amicable squabble as to who should ride first, and it was settled that Nellie and Maude should be the ones chosen.
The little carriage soon distanced the walkers, and went quickly up the smooth turnpike-road for a mile or more, when at the appointed place Mrs. Elliot drew up, and they sat still waiting for the others.
"We must not let it seem long," she said, "for they cannot be here for at least ten minutes."
So they filled up the time by a pleasant little talk; and Nellie told Mrs. Elliot what she had never yet heard—about Christina's Orphanage.
"Is she happy in it?" she asked presently. "Really happy?"
"I believe she is; I never saw anyone more tranquilly and uninterruptedly happy."
"I have heard that she has passed through great sorrows?"