THE NORTHCOROPT LILIES.

 There was a fund of amusement, too, in the village.
 The old women-Gertrude declared-were delightful;
 and their way of speaking so very odd, sometimes she
 could scarcely understand what they said. They were
 training the choir, too, and Mr. Layton was already
 looking better, so that by the middle of March
 Gertrude was nearly reconciled to Northcroft, though
 she often wished she could see poor Nancy, and she
 lamented that the poor girl could not use her hands to
 write, and thus she had no news of her; but she tried
 to make up by writing to her, and telling all she
 thought likely to interest her, and the first violets the
 children gathered found their way to Nancy.
 Lessons, too, with Effie they did not mind. They
had had a daily governess in London, but Effie was
now nearly eighteen, and quite able to teach her
younger sisters. She was very methodical and par-
ticular, and Gertrude and Lottie were so very lively
and careless, her task was not always easy; but she
was patient, and mamma took care she was not over-
worked, and indeed herself superintended the studies.
 Early in April, Mrs. Layton said, was the time for
primroses; and James, the old groom and gardener,
said there were no end in the wood at the side of the
house, but the keepers were strict, and Sir Charles
particular, and he shook his head when the little girls
said they thought they might go-they would not do
any harm.
 Gertrude beset her papa. "I'm sure Sir Charles
would let us go; he is the dearest old gentleman. Do
ask him, papa."
 But there seemed no opportunity; at least none
offered, till one afternoon, when Mr. Layton and Ger-
trude were walking on the Westcroft Road, up came
Sir Charles on horseback.