“Only be happy, children; that’s all I want,” returned Mrs. West, her voice breaking.

While Marjorie fried the fish for breakfast her mother went to her chamber to kneel down and give thanks.

XXVII.

ANOTHER WALK AND ANOTHER TALK.

“We are not to lead events but to follow them.”—­Epictetus.

Marjorie was so happy that she trembled with the joy of it.  The relief from her burden, at times, was almost harder to bear than the burden itself.  She sang all day hymns that were the outpouring of her soul in love to Christ.

“What a child you are, Marjorie,” her mother said one day.  “You were as doleful as you could be, and now you are as happy as a bird.”

“Do you remember what Luther says?”

“Luther says several wise and good things.”

“And this is one of them; it is one of Aunt Prue’s favorite sayings:  ’The Christian should be like a little bird, which sits on its twig and sings, and lets God think for it.’”

“That’s all very well for a bird; but we have to do,” replied her mother sharply.

“We have to do what God thinks, though,” returned Marjorie quickly.

“Child, you are your father all over again; he always wanted to wait and see; but mine was the faith that acted.”

“But now can we act, until we wait and see?” persisted Marjorie.  “I want to be sure that God means for us to do things.”

“Many a thing wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t pushed through—­why, your father would have been willing for Linnet to be engaged years and years.”

“So would I,” said Marjorie seriously.

A week later, one afternoon towards dusk, Marjorie was walking home from her grandfather’s.  Her happy face was shaded by a brown straw hat, her hands were sunburned, and her fingers were scratched with numerous berrying expeditions.  There was a deepened color in the roundness of her cheeks; she was a country maiden this afternoon, swinging an empty basket in her hand.  She was humming to herself as she walked along, hurrying her steps a little as she remembered that it was the mail for her long, foreign letter.  This afternoon she was as happy as she wanted to be.  Within half a mile of home she espied a tall figure coming towards her,—­a figure in a long linen duster, wearing a gray, low-crowned, felt hat.  After an instant she recognized Hollis and remembered that to-day he was expected home.  She had not thought of it all day.

“Your mother sent me to meet you,” he said, without formal greeting.  Instantly she detected a change in his manner towards her; it was as easy as if he were speaking to Linnet.

“I’ve been off on one of my long walks.”

“Do you remember our walk together from your grandfather’s—­how many years ago?”

“When I appealed to your sympathies and enlisted you in my behalf?”