The little party arrived at last at the farther end of the garden, where
there was a door in the high, red wall opening on a path which led to
the turnpike-road. Grace turned the rusty key, and the children saw the
familiar face of their native valley again. Giving a lingering backward
glance into the pleasant garden which they had just left, they trotted
away towards the dusty high-road, while Grace stood watching them till
they were out of sight.
CHAPTER IV.
ELSIE GRAY
"I'll tell you what it is, Grace; that scholar of yours is far too fine
a fellow to be left to tie companionship of old Gowrie's cattle any
longer."
The speaker was a bright, breezy-looking lad in midshipman's dress, who
was sauntering up and down the old terrace at Kirklands, in company with
our friend Grace. She is a year older than when we saw her last at the
garden-gate, parting with her two scholars after their first Sunday
together. They have had a great many afternoons in company since then.
Grace had remained in her summer home all through the long Scotch
winter, and now autumn had come, bringing with it her brother Walter on
a delightful holiday of six weeks, after an absence of years.
Miss Hume had got so frail the previous year, that she was unfit for the
return journey to her house in Edinburgh, and the following months had
only brought an increase of weakness. She now lay in her darkened room,
with, her flickering lamp of life burning slowly to its socket, while
some young lives beside her were being kindled by glowing fires which
would cause their hearts to burn long after the "glow of early thought
declines in feeling's dull decay.
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