her voice in the house to-day. What's come over the old place to strike
it so dead?'"

The girl's eyes were running over, but in a tone of gentle raillery and
heart's love she said severely: "Nonsense, grandfather, you'll forget all
about Glory going to London before the day after to-morrow. Every morning
you'll be making rubbings of your old runes, and every night you'll be
playing chess with Aunt Rachel, and every Sunday you'll be scolding old
Neilus for falling asleep in the reading desk, and--and everything will
go on just the same as ever."

The mails had come aboard, one of the gangways had been drawn ashore, and
the old parson, holding his big watch in his left hand, was diving into
his fob-pocket with the fingers of the right.

"Here"--panting audibly, as if he had been running hard--"is your
mother's little pearl ring."

The girl drew off her slack, soiled glove and took the ring in her
nervous fingers.

"A wonderful talisman is the relic of a good mother, sir," said the old
parson.

The young clergyman bent his head.

"You're like Glory herself in that though--you don't remember your mother
either."

"No-no."