Well, the doctor had ordered Mr. Vane to go abroad, as I daresay you will have guessed.

It was a sad disappointment, just when they had come to Seacove and he seemed so well, and though no one reproached her, Bridget felt that the consequences of her self-will were not to be soon forgotten.

It was all settled very quickly; and from the time it was settled Mr. Vane, ‘out of contradiction,’ he said laughing, really seemed to improve faster than hitherto.  So that he was looking a good deal more like ’a proper papa,’ as Alie said, the day he and Mrs. Vane started on their long journey.

‘I am so glad you are going to be near that nice old lady,’ said Alie, amidst her tears; ’and oh, mamma dear, I will try to do everything you would like.’

’I am sure you will, darling, and it is a great comfort to feel so much happier about Biddy now.  You will try to make a nice birthday for her, I know.’

’There’ll be the surprise—­that’s something nice to look forward to.  And we may have Celestina as often as we like, mayn’t we?’

‘As often as her mother can spare her, of course,’ Mrs. Vane answered.

Then came Biddy.  She was not crying, though she winked her eyes a good deal.

‘Mamma, I’ll try to be good,’ she said bluntly; ’and if papa gets quite well again’—­here her voice broke.  ’Oh, mamma, if only it was the day for you and papa to come back, and him quite, quite well.  Mamma, I think I’d never be naughty again.’

This was a great, great deal from Biddy!

That day did come, but a good many other days had to pass before it came, and some of these were rather sad and anxious ones.  For the first letters from abroad were not as cheerful as Mrs. Vane would have liked to make them for the little party so eagerly awaiting them at Seacove Rectory.  Mr. Vane was very tired by the journey, and had it not been for the kindness of Madame d’Ermont, who would not hear of them staying anywhere but in her house, at any rate till he grew stronger, Mrs. Vane said she felt as if she would have lost heart altogether.  But after a little things brightened up again.  ’Papa really seems to get stronger every day,’ she wrote; and on Bridget’s birthday morning there came a letter from papa himself, all scented with the sweet violets he had slipped into it—­for that was long before the days of parcel posts, by which flowers reach us from the south of France and Italy as fresh as if we had just gathered them in our own gardens—­and telling of quite a long walk he had been able to take without feeling too tired.  The letter ended up with wishing Biddy a truly happy birthday, and hopes that it might be bright and sunny at Seacove.  ’I only wish I could pack up some of the sunshine here to send you,’ wrote Mr. Vane, ’for we have enough and to spare of it.  But after all, the best sunshine of all is that of happy and contented and loving hearts—­is it not, my Biddy?’