"Oh, how dreadful! How sad! And your poor sister-in-law herself?"
"I will tell you about her another time, dear Mary. She had a splendid woman for a nurse, a true Christian, who was, I have no doubt, a great help to her. And I do not think she faced Death alone, for the last articulate words she uttered were, 'Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me!'"
There was a silence, broken only by the entrance of Anna with a tray.
"Anna is going to allow me to have tea up here with you to-night, Mary, as a treat," the doctor said, smiling. "How is the little stranger getting on downstairs, Anna?"
"Very well, I fancy, sir."
"Ah! I thought she would. Is she not a pretty child, Anna?"
"Handsome is as handsome does, sir. If Miss Stella is as good as she is pretty, why then she'll be very good indeed." And having given her opinion with the freedom of an old and valued servant, Anna left the doctor and his wife to themselves again.
Meanwhile downstairs matters were progressing happily enough. Stella sat at Miss Clarke's right hand sipping her tea, but eating little. She was too excited to have much appetite; and was fully occupied in watching her cousins, whom she considered good-looking but dowdily dressed children. Her observant eyes took in everything, from the shabbiness of the worn Brussels carpet to the texture of the table-cloth, which was far coarser than she had been accustomed to. She answered politely when addressed, and was most certainly not shy; but it was evident that she meant to make friends with her cousins at her own discretion.
"If you have finished tea, my dear," Miss Clarke said at length, "I think your aunt would like to see you. Dora, take your cousin upstairs to your mother."
Dora came forward obediently, and taking her cousin's hand the two children left the room together. On the landing upstairs Stella paused and drew back, for the first time since her arrival showing signs of nervousness.