"Certainly, my dear," was the gentle reply.

It was the twilight hour, when the homesick feeling always came back
strongest to Lloyd.

"Then I jus' know that if my bu'ful gran'mothah Amanthis could come down
out of that frame, she'd go straight and put her arms around my mothah
an' kiss away all her sorry feelin's."

The Colonel fidgeted uncomfortably in his chair a moment. Then to his
great relief the tea-bell rang.




CHAPTER IX.


Every evening after that during Lloyd's visit the fire burned on the
hearth of the long drawing-room. All the wax candles were lighted, and
the vases were kept full of flowers, fresh from the conservatory.

She loved to steal into the room before her grandfather came down, and
carry on imaginary conversations with the old portraits.

Tom's handsome, boyish face had the greatest attraction for her.
His eyes looked down so smilingly into hers that she felt he surely
understood every word she said to him. Once Walker overheard her saying,
"Uncle Tom, I'm goin' to tell you a story 'bout Billy Goat Gruff."