she said.

"Looking at your beloved sea," said Papa, holding out his hand to her to come and join them.

"Is Milly so fond of it?" asked Lena.

"Yes, so fond that we were thinking of making a present of her to the captain of our ship," said Papa, laughing.

"I have the sea here, and you as well, and," she added shyly, "Lena too."

"True, most sensible of little women; but, Lena, you must not think she is always so alarmingly sensible, for alas!"—and here Papa shook his head with affected sadness,—"she does love fun and romping sometimes."

Millicent laughed as Lena exclaimed eagerly—

"Oh, I am so glad, for I do, and I do want her to be my companion; we can have such fun on the rocks, Milly."

"Yes, dear; I trust you will be firm friends as well as companions. Milly has been longing for sister Lena."

"And I have been longing for her," was Lena's answer.

"You have been very quick putting Lucy to bed: was she good?" asked Mrs. Graham.

"Oh, Hester did that; she was quite good with her, and Aunt Mary said I had better not stay, for she wanted her to grow accustomed to Hester."

"And where are you to sleep?"

"In the room with Lucy. I took off my things there, and I thought you might want me to help you."

"Oh, let me do that to-night," pleaded Lena.

"I shall be glad of help from you both. We have been idling our time away here talking instead of getting ready for dinner, and nothing is unpacked."

So saying, Mrs. Graham returned to her room, followed by the two girls, and very soon they were both busily engaged, undoing parcels, and getting out things that were required for the night. At first they delayed one another by both working at the same box, and strewing its contents over the floor. Such dreadful confusion ensued from this, that Mrs. Graham proposed that one should do the unpacking, while the other put the things away tidily in the drawers.

"Who shall unpack?" asked Lena.

"Well, I think you had better, and Milly can put away, for she knows what we shall require at first."

"I shall know soon, too, shan't I?" asked Lena; "but I like unpacking best, and seeing what you have got."

"You will never get through your work if you stop to examine and admire everything," said Mrs. Graham, as she watched her taking a good look at each thing she brought out of the box.

Milly took the opportunity while she was stooping down to take some clothes out of Lena's arms, to whisper, "I like the flowers so much."

"Do you know which are meant for you?" she asked, stopping in her work for a reply.

"Yes, the primroses, Aunt Mary told me. I think them lovely."

After this they worked away busily until dinner-time. Then, when the bell sounded, Lena rushed off to tell Aunt Mary what she had been doing, and also to inform her that they were all dear darlings; and, "what did Auntie think of Milly?"

Auntie's opinion was very favourable.

Then Lena suggested, "But don't you think she is very quiet?"

"She is very sweet and gentle, and I think very shy; but as you know, Lena, I do not dislike a little bit of shyness in children; it is far, far better than being forward."

"But not too shy?"

"Milly is not that; and I feel sure that you will be great friends as well as loving little sisters before long."

This conversation took place as they went down to the drawing-room, Lena hanging on to her Aunt's arm, as she eagerly questioned her. Finding no one in the drawing-room, Lena began again—

"Isn't she tall, Auntie, nearly as tall as I am?"—the "she" alluded to being, of course, Milly.

"Quite as tall as you are, I think, though that is not such an enormous height, for"——

"No, I know," burst in Lena; "I wish I was taller, because people will never believe that I am so much older than she is."

Miss Somerville laughed as she answered, "I do not think that that need cause you unhappiness, dear."

The entrance of Mrs. Graham and Milly put an end to their conversation; then Colonel Graham came in, and they all went into the dining-room.

After dinner the two sisters went off together to Lena's room, to see all her treasures. There had been a certain constraint and shyness between them, as is so often the case with children in the presence of their elders. When they were alone, this wore off very quickly, and soon they were chatting away together, the best of friends; and although Lena's tongue was going at a gallop, Milly managed to keep up a very good second.

When Aunt Mary came to tell them it was time to go to bed, she found them seated, side by side, on the floor, Milly clasping in her arms "Millicent Lucy," while Lena held forth on the doings and sayings of Aunt Mary and herself; and promising Milly all sorts of delights, in both their names.

"O Auntie, we are having such a nice talk."

"Which I have come to put an end to."

"Already?"

"Yes, dears; it is prayer-time now."

At this both girls jumped up, and Dolly being put away carefully, the two girls followed their Aunt downstairs, hand clasped in hand.

Later, Mama went up with her two girls to see Lucy. Such a pretty picture she made, Lena thought, as she looked down on the chubby little face, all flushed with sleep, one small arm thrown over her head, and the fair curls all tossed about in confusion. As Mrs. Graham looked down on her little one, her heart swelled with love and gratitude at once more having all her children with her. Putting an arm round each of the others, she said in a low voice, "I trust, darlings, that you both thanked Him to-night for His great mercy to us all?"

"Yes, Mama," Milly whispered, shyly. "And for letting Lena be so nice and kind, and Aunt Mary too."

"And, Mama, I have to thank Him for double as much as Milly has, for I have four of you all at once, and you are all just as nice as I hoped and expected."

"I am glad you are not disappointed in any of us, darling," answered her mother with a smile; "but we must not talk any more beside Lucy or we shall awake her."

"I may give her one kiss, please, Mama," said Lena; "she does look such a sweet!"

"Only one, and try and not to awake her, dear," was the answer. Then they left Milly, and Mama took Lena to her room, and said good-night.

Aunt Mary had been in and given her good-night kiss, and Lena was just falling off to sleep, all sorts of pleasant happy thoughts passing through her mind, in the confused sort of way that so often happens after anything pleasant has occurred—thoughts half real, half dreams, all jumbled up together in hopeless confusion, but very sweet withal,—when the door of her room