"You will have to come and see me, Tom dear, when it is all done," said Christina.
"I," asked Tom, colouring; "can I really?"
"Yes," answered his mother; "we will arrange it somehow."
Directly after tea, Dr. Arundel rang the bell, and told Simmons to collect all for prayers.
"We will unite in thanking God for our happy reunion," said their father.
"May we have a hymn, papa?" asked Nellie.
"Oh, to be sure! Can you sing without the piano?"
"Oh, yes! We have got quite used to it at South Bay."
So they all gathered together. Even baby came down, as he always did in the morning, and sat very still on his mother's knee, looking round gravely at the unusual sight of lamps at prayers, which he could not make out at all.
The next morning, true to their intention, Christina and her aunt started forth on their lodging-hunting expedition. They were not very long gone, but returned in about an hour, having found what would suit them very well, for the few weeks before they could expect to settle into the new home. So after dinner, Christina asked Nellie if it would be possible for her to get away for the "house-hunting," and Mrs. Arundel answered for her, that she should go by all means.