“Oh, yes,—surely, aunt. It will be much for Archie’s good. And, besides,” she added, with a little hesitation, “I don’t wonder that the master wants Archie for his own sake.”
“A sensible-like lassie, that,” said the master to himself, looking at her with some such curiosity as he would have looked at a strange beetle in his garden-path, “that is wise like.”
“Yes, if the master thought about Archie, as you do,” said Mrs Blair. “But have you counted the cost? It will be a sad lonely winter to you without your brother, Lily.”
Lilias considered a moment, and drew a long breath.
“But it will be so much better for him; and he will come home sometimes.”
“That he shall,” said the master, “at regular times, on which you shall agree between you, and at no other,—that you need not be troubling yourselves needlessly about him. And he shall come in time, too, that there need be no waste of good eyesight watching for him.”
And so it was settled. But Archie was by no means so delighted with the arrangement as Lilias had anticipated. He could hardly be persuaded that he could not in the winter walk backwards and forwards over the hills, as he had done in the fine days of summer and autumn. But when he was fairly settled in his little closet in the schoolmaster’s quiet home, with a table full of books, and time to read them, and his friend Davie coming and going at his pleasure, he settled down with great content.
He did not miss his sister as she missed him. Poor Lilias! Many and many a time, during the first week of their separation, she asked herself if she had indeed counted the cost. She accused herself of selfishness in regretting a change which was so much for his good, and strove by attention to her duties to quiet the pain at her heart.
“I ought to be glad and thankful,” said she to herself, again and again,—“glad and thankful;” but the dull pain ached on, and the days seemed like weeks; and when Saturday afternoon came at last, and Archie rushed in, with a joyful shout, a few minutes before he was expected, she surprised herself and him by a great flood of tears.
“Lilias, my child, what ails you?” said her aunt, while Archie stood gazing at her in silent consternation.