“We can indeed,” Mildred said, with feeling.  “What blessed people we are! all knowing and loving the dear Master, and looking forward to an eternity of bliss together at His right hand.”

The interview between the aged saint and her long-absent relatives was continued for a few moments more; then she dismissed them, with the remark that doubtless they would all like to retire to their rooms for a little, and she must take a short rest in order to be fresh for the evening, when she hoped they would all gather about her again.

“I want you all to feel at home and to enjoy yourselves as much as you can,” she said, in conclusion.  “Play about the grounds, children, whenever you like.”

Her cottage stood between the houses of the Duncans and Allisons; the grounds of all three were extensive, highly cultivated, and adorned with beautiful trees, shrubbery, and flowers, and there were no separating fences or hedges, so that they seemed to form one large park or garden.

Rosie and Walter Travilla, and the young Raymonds were delighted with the permission to roam at will about these lovely grounds, and hastened to avail themselves of it as soon as the removal of the dust of travel and a change of attire rendered them fit.

They found a Dutch gardener busied here and there, and presently opened a conversation with him, quite winning his heart by unstinted praises of the beauty of his plants and flowers.

“It must be a great deal of work to keep those large gardens in such perfect order,” remarked Rose.

“Dat it ish, miss,” he said; “but I vorks pretty hard mineself, and my son Shakey, he gifs me von leetle lift ven he ton’t pees too much in school.”

“Do you live here?” asked little Grace.

“Here in dis garten? no, miss; I lifs oud boud t’ree mile in de country.”

“That’s a long walk for you, isn’t it?” said Lulu.

“Nein; I don’t valks, miss; ven I ish god dings to pring—­abbles or botatoes or some dings else—­I say to mine Shakey, ’Just hitch de harness on de horse and hang him to de stable door;’ or if I got nodings to pring I tells de poy, ‘Hitch him up a horseback;’ den I comes in to mine vork and I tash!  I don’t hafs to valk—­nod a shtep.”

“How funny he talks,” whispered Grace to Lulu; “I can hardly understand him.”

“It’s because he’s Dutch,” returned Lulu, in the same low tone.  “But I can tell almost all he says.  His son’s name must be Jakey; the short for Jacob.”

“What is your name?” asked Max.

“Hencle—­Shon Hencle.  I dinks you all pees come to see Miss Stanhope pe von huntred years olt; ishn’t you?”

“Yes,” said Rosie.  “It seems very wonderful to think that she has lived so long.”

The children, weary with their journey, were sent to bed early that night.  Lulu and Grace found they were to sleep together in a small room opening into a larger one, where two beds had been placed for the time to meet the unusual demand for sleeping quarters.  These were to be occupied by Grandma Elsie, Violet, Rosie, and Walter.