She stopped short in her walk and her thoughts
went back to the red rose lying on the doctor's desk.

"Will he know?" she said to herself; "he loves
flowers so, and I don't believe anybody ever puts
one on his desk. Poor fellow! how hard he works
and how good he is to everybody! Little Tod would
have died but for his tenderness." Then, with a
prayer in her heart and a new light in her eyes, she
kept on her way.

Lucy, as she bounded along the edge of the bluff,
Meg scurrying after her, had never once lost sight
of her sister's slender figure. When a turn in the
road shut her from view, she crouched down behind
a sand-dune, waited until she was sure Jane would
not change her mind and join her, and then folding
the cloak over her arm, gathered up her skirts and
ran with all her speed along the wet sand to the
House of Refuge. As she reached its side, Bart
Holt stepped out into the afternoon light.

"I thought you'd never come, darling," he said,
catching her in his arms and kissing her.

"I couldn't help it, sweetheart. I told sister I
was going to see Mrs. Cavendish, and she was so
delighted she said she would go, too."