He paused— then shut the door— then
smiled back in answer to his sister's delighted
glance.

"Yes, Leonard.  What do you think of
this?"

She held them up, glass jar and all, for
admiration. " Where do you think these came
from ? "

The young man did not answer at first.  He
took the flowers from her hand, looked at
them, breathed in their fragrance for a
minute, then put them down again.  The flush
of pleasure soon passed from his thoughtful
face.  He sat down, looking even grave.

" Who do you think brought them ? "
persisted Agnes, changing the form of question.

" I can guess," he answered.  A very brief
pause ; then he added, " Miss Bellew has been
to see you.  She said she would.  How do
you like her ? "

"Very, very much, " cried Agnes enthusiastically.
"How beautiful she is, Leonard.
You told me she was, but you did not say
half enough.  And so gentle, and kind, and
sweet.  I fancied she was proud."

" So she is," Leonard said quickly ; "but
with a pride too lofty to show itself to those
below her in wealth and position."  He
moved to take from his sister's hands the
kettle she was lifting.  Tea-making engrossed
her attention for a little while, but she soon
returned to the former theme.

" She sat and talked ; pleasant, friendly
chat ; for nearly an hour.  I showed her
my drawings, and yours, afterwards.  She
praised mine very much, but I think she
would not venture to praise yours.  I showed
her our old house and the views all about,
that you took."

"Little simpleton !  To suppose every one
as interested in the dear old place as
ourselves."

" I am sure she was interested, Leonard.
Of course, not as we are, but still very much.
Is it likely she would not be, knowing you ?
Then I showed her your German drawings.
She found out for herself that Swiss view hanging
by the window, and liked it.  Generally, I
hate to hear people praise your drawings or
yourself, even.  But I would allow Miss
Bellew to praise both."

" Gracious permission ! Now, terrible autocrat,
give me my tea.  It is the bleakest of
November nights, outside.  In this cosy little
nest we feel nothing of it.  Cosy little nest :
dear little bird in the nest."

But, in spite of his gay, loving tone, he
seemed more than usually tired this evening.
The dark hair fell carelessly, even rudely,
over his forehead — the calm forehead
that his little sister was so proud of.  She
smoothed away the vagrant locks ; her cool
fingers were very sweet, welcome visitants to
his hot brow.

" Does your head ache, Leonard ? "

"A little."

" And I have been chattering away so
thoughtlessly.  Drink your tea, brother, and
keep quiet. I will be as still as a mouse."

"No need, Agnes. I am only tired; that's
all.  It has been rather a busy day.  Mr.
Bellew had some involved accounts from a
Dresden house, which I had to go through,
because I know German.  And it — was
more fatiguing than reading Schiller."

" Yes. indeed ! " Agnes said, seriously.  She
sat on her little chair ; and, supporting her
chin with her hand, gazed meditatively into
the fire.

"But, for all that, it was pleasant enough ;''
pursued Leonard, cheerfully— " pleasant to
be able to render a special service to my
master."

" Your master ! " Scornfully curled the red
lip.  But the pride of even a good woman
often flies nearer the ground than that of a
good man.  Leonard smiled.

" Do not disown the word, nor the fact, my
birdie.  It is no shame to be a servant — or
a servant I should not be."

Agnes broke forth anew with earnestness,
even to tears.

" O Leonard !  Don't be angry : I mean,
don't be vexed with me for feeling ; feeling it
so hard that I should be the cause of all."

" The cause of all ?  Of what ? "

" Of your being in this position.  If it
had not been for me, you would have gone to
India, as our uncle wished ; and you would
have made your fortune, and come back to
England while you were young ; and you
would have married, and been happy."

She stopped at length her rapid, passionate
utterance.  Leonard then spoke gently.

" Happy ! My little sister, what is it that
you call happiness ? "

"O, I know— I know, with you duty is
always happiness."

" Not always ; not often, I am afraid, to this
restless, erring humanity which is so strong
within all of us.  But, Agnes, there was no
war between duty and inclination in my
case.  If it had not been simply right to stay
at home, and be a brother otherwise than in
name to my sister, I might have done it from
pure selfishness.  Next spring, you know,
when I lose my little sister, I may yet go to
India."

" O Leonard ! "

" O Agnes ! " He laughed at her the pleasant
laugh of one who loves too truly to be
less than tender over the foibles of the beloved.

" All this time, while you are eloquent
and unreasonable, my tea is getting
cold, and so is yours."

Agnes turned slowly round to the tea-table.
Her face, in its intent thoughtfulness,
looked like her brother's for the time, though
she was a youthful-hearted woman of four-and-twenty,
and he a man of thirty ; old-looking
for his years.

"But, for all that" — she again plunged
into the forbidden subject — "I am not convinced,
brother."