"You wicked little creature! what have you been doing? Here
have I been growing melancholy over the tokens of your
absence, and watching the decline of the sun, with distracted
feelings these six hours."

"Six hours!" said Fleda, smiling.

"My dear little Fleda! it's so delicious to see you again!"
said Miss Evelyn, with another prolonged hug and kiss.

"My dear Constance! I am very glad! but where are the rest?"

"It's unkind of you to ask after anybody but me, when I came
here this morning on purpose to talk the whole day to you.
Now, dear little Fleda," said Miss Constance, executing an
impatient little persuasive caper round her, — "won't you go
out and order dinner? for I'm raging. Your woman did give me
something, but I found the want of you had taken away all my
appetite; and now the delight of seeing you has exhausted me,
and I feel that nature is sinking. The stimulus of gratified
affection is too much for me."

"You absurd child!" said Fleda; "you haven't mended a bit. But
I told Barby to put on the tea-kettle, and I will administer a
composing draught as soon as it can be got ready; we don't
indulge in dinners here in the wilderness. Meanwhile, suppose
that exhausted nature try the support of this easy-chair."

She put her visitor gently into it, and, seating herself upon
the arm, held her hand, and looked at her with a smiling face,