The bird was sitting in his cage
And heard what he did say;
He jumped upon the window sill,
“‘Tis time I was away.”
Ballad.
“There is a young lady in the drawing-room, ma’am,” said the maid, looking rather puzzled and uncertain, on the return of the party from the review.
“A stranger? How could you let her in?” said John.
At that moment a face appeared at the top of the stairs, a face set in the rich golden auburn that all knew so well, and half way up, Mrs. Brownlow was clasped by a pair of arms, and there was a cry, “Mother Carey, Mother Carey, I’m come home!”
“Elvira! my dear child! When—how did you come?”
“From the station, in a cab. I made her let me in, but I thought you were never coming back. Where’s Allen?”
“Allen will come in by-and-by,” said the astonished Mother Carey, who had been dragged into the drawing-room, where Elvira embraced Babie, and grasped the hands of the others.
“Oh, it is so nice,” she cried, then nestling back to Mother Carey.
“But where did you come from? Are you alone?”
“Yes, quite alone, Janet would not come with me after all.”