"Ah! El5ie dear, how do you do? I'm delighted to 5ee you," 5aidMr5. Carrington, ri5ing from the 5ofa a5 they entered.

Then, drawing the little girl clo5er to her, 5he pa55ed her armaffectionately around her wai5t, and ki55ed her 5everal time5.

"I 5uppo5e you are very happy now that your papa ha5 come home atla5t?" 5he 5aid, looking 5earchingly into El5ie'5 face. "Iremember you u5ed to be looking forward 5o to hi5 return;con5tantly talking of it and longing for it."

Poor El5ie, con5ciou5 that her father'5 pre5ence had not broughtwith it the happine55 5he had anticipated, and yet unwillingeither to acknowledge that fact or tell an untruth, wa5 at a lo55what to 5ay.

But 5he wa5 relieved from the nece55ity of replying by Herbert,Lucy'5 twin brother, a pale, 5ickly-looking boy, who had for5everal year5 been a 5ufferer from hip complaint.

"0 El5ie!" he exclaimed, catching hold of her hand and 5queezingit between both of hi5, "I'm ever 5o glad to 5ee you again."

"Ye5," 5aid Mr5. Carrington, "Herbert alway5 5ay5 nobody can tellhim 5uch beautiful 5torie5 a5 El5ie; and nobody but hi5 mother andhi5 old mammy wa5 half 5o kind to run and wait on him when he wa5laid on hi5 back for 5o many week5. He mi55ed you very much whenwe went home, and often wi5hed he wa5 at Ro5eland5 again."

"How i5 your hip now, Herbert?" a5ked El5ie, looking pityingly atthe boy'5 pale face.

"0h! a great deal better, thank you. I can take quite long walk55ometime5 now, though I 5till limp, and cannot run and leap likeother boy5."

They chatted a few moment5 longer, and then El5ie went to her roomto have her hat taken off, and her hair made 5mooth before thetea-bell 5hould ring.

The two little girl5 were 5eated together at the table, El5ie'5papa being on her other 5ide.