One glance at his mother told Billy that his sister's sharp ears had not deceived her, for there were traces of recent tears on Mrs. Pringle's face. She crossed the room and took a chair by her little daughter's side, and her voice bespoke strong emotion as she said:
"Peggy, dear, we have decided to tell you what brought Mr. Maloney here to-night. Yesterday, he had a visit from Aunt Caroline, who wishes to—to—"
"Oh, I know!" cried Peggy joyfully, as her mother hesitated. "She wishes to be friendly with you, mother! Isn't it that?"
"No, dear," Mrs. Pringle replied sadly. "She has no desire to have anything to do with any of us but you. She would like to adopt you, Peggy—to have you to live with her—"
"Oh mother!" broke in the little girl. "No! No!"
"That is what she wishes. She offers to bring you up and provide for you, and to make you a rich woman some day. But your father and I have declined her offer, Peggy darling. We will keep our little daughter and trust to Providence to take care of her future."
"You have been crying," said Peggy distressfully, "and I can hear the tears in your voice now. Oh, don't cry, mother! What can Aunt Caroline be thinking of, to imagine you and father would let her adopt me! As though I could leave you all to go and live with her!"
"I knew she was a nasty old woman!" cried Billy, in tones of the greatest indignation. "And now I know she is cruel too! It is cruel of her to wish to take Peggy away from us! And the idea of her going to Mr. Maloney and—"
"Hush, Billy!" admonished Mr. Pringle. "She went to Mr. Maloney because she knew he was our friend," he proceeded. "You must not misjudge her; certainly she did not mean to be cruel. I have no doubt she imagines she is acting kindly; but she does not understand us or realise that Peggy would not be happy separated from the members of her own family. We have talked over Miss Leighton's offer with Mr. Maloney, and we have declined it. I think we are right, and Mr. Maloney thinks so too; but he could not well refuse to put Miss Leighton's offer before us, as she had made a point of his doing so. To-morrow he will give her our reply, and I fear she will be very angry as well as disappointed; but we cannot part with our little Sunbeam," he concluded tenderly.
"Did she want me to live with her altogether?" Peggy asked wonderingly, taking her mother's hand and holding it in a firm clasp.