Christina held out her hand kindly and gravely. "You are quite right; and remember we shall all be one family in Him, whatever our different callings may be."
She rang the bell, and told Ellen to give her visitors a comfortable lunch in the dining room, and to ask Miss Arbuthnot to step upstairs.
"Oh, aunt, I wish you had been here, only I was so nervous in anticipation! But she is the dearest old creature you ever saw."
"I met her on the stairs, a sweet face."
Christina then told her aunt all about the interview, and they both hoped the decision would be in favour of accepting her proposal.
Miss Arbuthnot had been extremely surprised when Christina had first propounded her plans to her; but she had quick and ready sympathy; she knew the desolation of the young heart; and she had read enough of the life of workhouse children to know that to rescue even a few of these from the deadness, apathy, and sin which prevailed in such places, would be no mean work. So she had consented cheerfully, and Christina had given her a warm, grateful kiss, and had said, "I will try to make your life too as happy as I can, dear aunt."
[CHAPTER XXIV.]
A BASKET OF FLOWERS.