"But they all love you best. Mama always asks you about things, and"——
Here Milly interrupted, with a look of distress—it had never dawned upon her before that Lena doubted her mother's love, or had what she called such dreadful thoughts—"How can you say such things, Lena? It is not kind and it is not true," she added with spirit.
They had nearly reached the gate of Scarsdale Villa by this time, and there stood Mrs. Graham, looking out anxiously for them, and now hurried to meet them, thus preventing any more conversation between the sisters.
"Here you are, my darlings; I was beginning to fear something had happened. And there is Lucy lagging behind, I see." One look at her children's faces, showed Mama that something had gone wrong. Milly looked distressed, and Lena's usually bright open countenance was now very clouded. Putting her arm round Lena, she drew her to her side, and kissing her, said, "What has made you so late, dear?"
What power there is for good in the gentle word or the loving gesture! The mere fact of her mother having put her arm round her, and having spoken to her first, brushed away, for the moment, the hard jealous thoughts, that had been finding room in Lena's heart.
"I am so sorry, Mama, we are late," she said, looking up with an altered expression. "We were so interested and happy on the rocks, we did not know how fast the time was going."
"How did you find out at last?"
"We asked a lady, and it was five-and-twenty minutes to seven; we were so astonished."
"Now run and take off your wet things, and come down to tea. Milly looks tired; are you, darling?"
"A little, Mama, not very."