It was really beautiful, and Mrs. Grey caught her breath, with a sob of gratitude that, in spite of her greater loss, the dear little old homestead was left her.
The girls caught the sound and understood her thought—it was too recent a joy to them all ever to be far beyond the mind of each of them. Wythie, Rob, and Prue ran over to their Mardy and twined their arms around her, all three, and hugged her close.
"We have it safe, and we have one another," whispered sweet Oswyth.
"It's the loveliest spring of all my life," said Prue, solemnly. "And in the winter I didn't dare to think of summer again."
"Behold a group of Grateful Greys," said Rob, dashing away a tiny tear from her bright eyes before anyone could suspect it of being there, and laughing blithely. "Aren't we perfect geese about our little grey house? We couldn't love it more if it were an old feudal, ancestral castle—though it would be bigger."
"Three cheers for the little grey house, and three cheers for the Grateful Greys!" cried Bruce, with an inspiration.
"For the house where we've had such glorious times, and for the people we love best of all the world," added Basil, with a half-glance toward Wythie.
"Amendment carried!" cried Bruce, with an open look at Rob.
The open windows bore the cheers out to Farmer Flinders in the garden, and he stopped work to listen, leaning on his hoe, and smiling to himself with unwonted benignity.