Was this the answer?  Something darted through her mind like a pang followed by a strange throb—-"Give yourself up to Him.  Seek the true good first.  The other may lie on its way.”

But it was only a pang.  The only too-natural recoil came the next minute.  Was not she as religious as there was any need to be, or at least as she could be without alienating her children or affecting more than she felt?  Give herself to Him?  How?  Did that mean a great deal of church-going, sermon-reading, cottage visiting, prayers, meditations, and avoidance of pleasure?  That would never do; the boys would not bear it, and Janet would be alienated; besides, it would be hypocrisy in one who could not sit still and think, or attend to anything lengthy and wearisome.

So, as a kind of compromise, she looked at the photograph which hung below, and to it she almost spoke out her answer.  “Yes, I’ll be very good, and give away lots of things.  Mary Ogilvie shall come and keep me in order, and she won’t let me be naughty, if I ever want to be naughty when I get away from Ellen.  Then Magnum Bonum shall have its turn too.  Don’t be afraid, dearest.  If Allen does not take to it now, I am sure Bobus will be a great chemical discoverer, able to give all his time and spare no expense, and then we will fit up this dear old house for a hospital for very poor people.  That’s what you would have done if you had been here!  Oh, if this money had only come in time!  But here are these horrid tears!  If I once begin crying I shall be good for nothing.  If I don’t go at once, there’s no saying what Jock mayn’t have bought.”

She was just in time to find Jock asking the price of all the animals in the Pantheon Bazaar, and expecting her to supply the cost of a vicious-looking monkey.  The whole flock collected in due time at the station, and so did their parcels.  Allen brought with him his chief purchase, the most lovely toy-terrier in the world, whom he presented on the spot to Elvira, and who divided the journey between licking himself and devouring the fragments of biscuit with which Jock supplied him.  Allen had also bought a beautiful statuette for himself, and a set of studs.  Janet had set herself up with a case of mathematical instruments and various books; Bobus’s purchases were divers chemical appliances and a pocket microscope, also what he thrust into Jessie’s lap and she presently proclaimed to be a lovely little work-case; Jessie herself was hugging a parcel, which turned out to contain warm pelisses for the two nursery boys just above the baby.  For the adaptation of their seniors’ last year’s garments had not proved so successful as not to have much grieved the good girl and her mother.

Elvira’s money had all gone into an accordion, and a necklace of large blue beads.

“Didn’t you get anything for your grandfather or your cousins?” said Caroline.

“I wanted it all,” said Elfie; “and you only gave me two sovereigns, or I would have had the bracelets too.”