Elnora missed her mother, and turning to look for her, saw her standing beside the pool.  Would the old fascination return?  A panic of fear seized the girl.  She went back swiftly.

“Are you afraid she is going?” Elnora asked.  “If you are, cup your other hand over her for shelter.  Carrying her through this air and in the hot sunshine will dry her wings and make them ready for flight very quickly.  You can’t trust her in such air and light as you can in the cool dark woods.”

While she talked she took hold of her mother’s sleeve, anxiously smiling a pitiful little smile that Mrs. Comstock understood.  Philip set his load at the back door, returning to hold open the garden gate for Elnora and Mrs. Comstock.  He reached it in time to see them standing together beside the pool.  The mother bent swiftly and kissed the girl on the lips.  Philip turned and was busily hunting moths on the raspberry bushes when they reached the gate.  And so excellent are the rewards of attending your own business, that he found a Promethea on a lilac in a corner; a moth of such rare wine-coloured, velvety shades that it almost sent Mrs. Comstock to her knees again.  But this one was fully developed, able to fly, and had to be taken into the cabin hurriedly.  Mrs. Comstock stood in the middle of the room holding up her Regalis.

“Now what must I do?” she asked.

Elnora glanced at Philip Ammon.  Their eyes met and both of them smiled; he with amusement at the tall, spare figure, with dark eyes and white crown, asking the childish question so confidingly; and Elnora with pride.  She was beginning to appreciate the character of her mother.

“How would you like to sit and see her finish development?  I’ll get dinner,” proposed the girl.

After they had dined, Philip and Elnora carried the dishes to the kitchen, brought out boxes, sheets of cork, pins, ink, paper slips and everything necessary for mounting and classifying the moths they had taken.  When the housework was finished Mrs. Comstock with her ruffle sat near, watching and listening.  She remembered all they said that she understood, and when uncertain she asked questions.  Occasionally she laid down her work to straighten some flower which needed attention or to search the garden for a bug for the grosbeak.  In one of these absences Elnora said to Philip:  “These replace quite a number of the moths I lost for the man of India.  With a week of such luck, I could almost begin to talk college again.”

“There is no reason why you should not have the week and the luck,” said he.  “I have taken moths until the middle of August, though I suspect one is more likely to find late ones in the north where it is colder than here.  The next week is hay-time, but we can count on a few double-brooders and strays, and by working the exchange method for all it is worth, I think we can complete the collection again.”