“Ah ha, ah ha! um h’m, ah ha!”

“Has you dot any ’ittle boys and dirls at your house?” asked Harold.

“Yes, my man, a quiver full of them.”

“Are they good? do they love Jesus?” asked Vi.  “Please tell us about them.”

“If you like to, sir,” said Elsie, with a sweet and gentle gravity.  “Vi, dear, you know we mustn’t tease.”

“No, I didn’t mean to tease,” Vi answered, blushing.  “Please excuse me, sir, and don’t tell it ’less you want to.”

“No, no; it will give me pleasure, my dear.  I enjoy talking of my darlings; especially now when they are so far away.”

He seemed about to begin, when Elsie, blushing deeply, said, “Excuse me, sir, I have been very remiss in my hospitalities.  It is early, and perhaps you have not breakfasted.”

“Yes, thank you my dear, I took breakfast at the village hotel, where I arrived last night.”

“But you will take a cup of coffee and some fruit—­”

Her sentence was broken off; for at that instant a lady and gentleman came galloping up the avenue and the little ones hailed them with a joyous shout, “Papa and mamma!”

Another moment and Mr. Travilla had dismounted, gallantly assisted his wife to do the same and together they stepped into the veranda.  Both bowed politely to the stranger, and the children running to them cried, “Mamma, mamma, it is your cousin from Scotland.”

She turned inquiringly to him, a flush of pleasure on her face.

He had risen from his seat, and was coming toward her with outstretched hand and earnest, admiring gaze.  “My name is Ronald Lilburn; your maternal grandmother and mine were sisters,” he said, “your grandmother’s marriage was displeasing to her father and all intercourse between her and the rest of the family was broken off in obedience to his stern command; and thus they lost sight of each other.  I have brought proofs of—­”

But Elsie’s hand was already laid in his, while glad tears sprang to her eyes.

“You shall show us them at another time if you will; but I could never doubt such a face as yours, and can not tell you how glad I am to have at last found a relative on my mother’s side of the house.  Cousin, you are welcome, welcome to Ion!” And she turned to her husband.

“Yes,” he said, offering his hand with the greatest cordiality, “welcome indeed, and not more so to my little wife than to myself.”

“Thanks to you both,” he said with a bow and smile.  “Cousin,” with an earnest look at his hostess, “you are very like a picture I have of your grandmother.  But,” with a glance at the wide-eyed little ones, looking on and listening in wonder and surprise, “can it be that you are the mother of all these? yourself scarce more than a bairn in appearance.”

Elsie laughed lightly.  “Ah, cousin, you have not examined me closely yet I have not been a bairn for many years.  How glad papa will be, Edward, to see a relative of my mother’s!”