Gillian’s eyes sparkled at the notion; but they fell at once, for Jasper would be detained by examinations until so late that he would only just be able to reach Coalham before Christmas Day.  Harry was to be ordained in a fortnight’s time to work under his cousin, Mr. David Merrifield, and his young brothers were to meet him immediately after.

‘I wish I could go too,’ sighed Gillian, as a hungry yearning for Jasper or for Mysie took possession of her.

‘I wish you could,’ said Miss Mohun sympathetically; ’but I am afraid you must resign yourself to helping us instead.’

’Oh, Aunt Jane, I did not mean to grumble.  It can’t be helped, and you are very kind.’

‘Oh, dear!’ said poor Miss Jane afterwards in private to her sister, ’how I hate being told I am very kind!  It just means, “You are a not quite intolerable jailor and despot,” with fairly good intentions.’

‘I am sure you are kindness itself, dear Jenny,’ responded Miss Adeline.  ’I am glad they own it!  But it is very inconvenient and unlucky that that unjustifiable mother should have sent her child to the party to carry the whooping-cough to poor little Primrose, and Mysie, and Phyllis.’

’All at one fell swoop!  As for Primrose, the worthy Halfpenny is quite enough for her, and Lily is well out of it; but Fly is a little shrimp, overdone all round, and I don’t like the notion of it for her.’

’And Rotherwood is so wrapped up in her.  Poor dear fellow, I hope all will go well with her.’

’There is no reason it should not.  Delicate children often have it the most lightly.  But I am sorry for Gillian, though, if she would let us, I think we could make her happy.’

Gillian meantime, after her first fit of sick longing for her brother and sister, and sense of disappointment, was finding some consolation in the reflection that had Jasper discovered her instructions to Alexis White, he would certainly have ’made no end of a row about it,’ and have laughed to scorn the bare notion of her teaching Greek to a counting-house clerk!  But then Jasper was wont to grumble and chafe at all employments—–­especially beneficent ones—–­that interfered with devotion to his lordly self, and on the whole, perhaps he was safer out of the way, as he might have set on the aunts to put a stop to her proceedings.  Of Mysie’s sympathy she was sure, yet she would have her scruples about the aunts, and she was a sturdy person, hard to answer—–­poor Mysie, whooping away helplessly in the schoolroom at Rotherwood!  Gillian felt herself heroically good-humoured and resigned.  Moreover, here was the Indian letter so long looked for, likely by its date to be an answer to the information as to Alexis White’s studies.  Behold, it did not appear to touch on the subject at all!  It was all about preparations for the double wedding, written in scraps by different hands, at different times, evidently snatched from many avocations