Elsli promised heartily.  She was glad that she had thought of the right words to help the poor old man.  She set to work at once in the house, and did not rest till she had put to rights everything that could make the mother uneasy, and had made the sick woman and the children orderly and comfortable.  The boys were eager to have her come into the kitchen, to see how well they remembered their yesterday’s lesson.  Everything went right; and as she was leaving the house she again met the father coming in, and again received from him the friendly yet depressed greeting which reminded her of her own father.  And when the four children seized and held her, declaring that she should not leave them, a rare smile lighted up his weary face for a moment, and he stretched out his hand to her with such a tender look of love as she had never in her life received from any one but her father.

And this was the story of one day after another for many succeeding days.  Elsli was living in quite another world from that in which the other children were amusing themselves at Rosemount.  A new life had come to her, and she looked so happy always and so changed that Fred one day called out:—­

“What makes you so happy, Elsli?  You look as if you had just caught two gold beetles!”

Elsli had found a place in the world, and no longer felt herself useless and superfluous.  She knew that early every morning the four children began to count the hours till she should come.  The sick mother longed for her to appear and with her skilful hands bring neatness and comfort into her room.  The grandfather depended on her help to take his daily airing, and, more than that, he loved the songs and hymns and gentle talk, with which Elsli brightened an hour of his lonely day.  And every day Elsli could see more clearly how the father grew happier in his home-coming, now that he found the house-work done and a peaceful evening of rest before him.

Only one thing troubled her.  She had not found a chance to talk with Aunt Clarissa, and these daily visits were still a secret.  And what if Mrs. Stanhope should disapprove them!  This thought gave her great anxiety.  She knew that there was nothing wrong about them, but she was not sure that they would be allowed.  For all that, she could not give them up.  She had made many attempts to tell Aunt Clarissa, but there was a great deal going on in the house, and every time she spoke she was told that she must wait till another time.  One day she determined to make another effort to get a few minutes’ attention from Aunt Clarissa in the evening, and then she would tell her the whole story.  After supper she went to her and asked whether she might tell her something before they went out on the terrace with the others.  Aunt Clarissa asked how long it would take, for Mrs. Stanhope wished them all to go out together in a few minutes.  Elsli answered that it would take some time to tell it all, but that it was very important.