All this while she was tucking us into bed again, and when she drew the curtains and left us we were afraid to whisper even, for fear of being heard in the next room and hurting Harry.

At breakfast the next morning we were told that Gus was “nigh about at Beecham by this time,” and before evening the carriage had come just in sight, and stopped, and grandmamma was walking up to the house.

Then followed a very quiet week, during which we never spoke aloud without getting a sharp “hush!” Indeed, we were not allowed to be in the house a minute longer than necessary, being down on the beach whenever we were not eating, drinking, or sleeping.  By the end of the week, Harry was to be seen at these rare intervals looking very pale, and quiet, and unlike himself on the sofa.  I distinctly remember feeling rather pleased as I looked from him to Alick, and thought how much more of a boy Alick looked with his brown, rosy face, than the pale, languid, almost girlish elder brother, speaking in a weak, tired voice from his pillow.  It was about another ten days before the close carriage came from Beecham, and with plenty of soft cushions, Harry was laid in it, and driven away back to the Park.

When we saw him there on our return, he was almost himself again, merry and bright, but a little pale and easily tired.

IX.

SUSETTE AND HER TROUBLES.

So we all came back to Beecham Park, and the holidays were over, and we had to buckle to work again; work that had a pleasant mixture of play in it, out-of-door fun, Saturday rambles and birthday treats.

When first we returned from the sea-side there came a very earnest letter from mamma, begging that Sissy might really be sent home now, for surely grandmamma had had enough, and too much, of her.  Indeed, a message was added at the end to say that papa had made up his mind to take a holiday and run down to fetch me.  All seemed to be settled, and I myself got into that doubtful state—­glad to go home but, oh, so sorry to leave this happy Beecham home!  I began to wonder, too, whether I should feel quite at home with papa when he came, and on the morning fixed for his arrival, a very shy fit came over me, so that, at first, it seemed rather a relief when Harry called out to me that a letter had come from my home, and that I was to go up to grandmother at once.  But what a grave, sad face met me!  My very heart stood still as she kissed me.  Then in gentle words she told me that Bobbie was ill, had caught the scarlet fever, so papa could not come.