"But she has so many other flowers and plants, that she will never miss it," said the tempter, at Florry's ear. "She is very rich and has a great many pleasures, and you are poor and have very few. You have not done her any harm. Besides, you must go on, now that you have begun. Your mother will be very angry, or still worse, she will be very sorry, and she has a great many troubles already. It will be a great deal better to say that Mrs. Hausen gave it to you."
Florry listened to the tempter, but she did not quite make up her mind to yield. She thought she would make a compromise. So she hid the red plant among some bushes which grew close to the fence, and went into the house to carry the pattern to her mother.
"You have been gone a long time, my daughter," said Mrs. Lester. "Did you stop to play with Emma Hausen?"
"No, mother. Emma was not at home. I stood a little while in the porch watching the steamer come up, and then Mrs. Crampton said I might walk round and look at the flowers and plants, so I did. I am sorry I hindered you."
"Oh, it is no great matter," answered Mrs. Lester, kindly. "I could hardly expect you to leave such a paradise of flowers as Mrs. Hausen's garden without lingering a little. I suppose the grounds are looking beautifully after the rain."
At another time, Florry would have talked to her mother for an hour, about all the wonders she had seen; but she did not feel at all like doing so now. She would have liked to forget all about the matter, if that had been possible. She answered, rather carelessly:
"Oh, yes, very pretty indeed. Every thing is just as neat as wax. I should think the leaves did not fall off their trees, as they do off ours; for nobody ever sees one lying on the ground."
"Mr. Crampton is an excellent gardener," said Mrs. Lester; "and he has nothing else to do but to attend to the grounds, and keep things in order. Now do you want to set the tea-table, or are you too tired with your walk?"
"No, mother, I am not tired at all; but where is Mary?"
"She has gone across the lake to see her grandmother. The old lady is not very well, and they sent for her; but she is coming back to-night. But you can do as you like about setting the table. It will not hurt me to move about a little."