Ah, how sad that such scenes should be so rare and so short-lived! "Hark--tirra-la-lirra-lirra!" said Wildney; "there goes the postman's horn! Shall I run and get the letter-bag as he passes the gate ?" "Yes, do," they all cried; and the boy bounded off full of fun, greeting the postman with such a burst of merry apostrophe, that the man shook with laughing at him.
"Here it is at last," said Wildney.

"Now, then, for the key.

Here's a letter for me, hurrah!--two for you, Miss Trevor--_what_ people you young ladies are for writing to each other! None for you, Monty--Oh, yes! I'm wrong, here's one; but none for Eric." "I expected none," said Eric sighing; but his eye was fixed earnestly on one of Mrs.Trevor's letters.

He saw that it was from India, and directed in his father's hand.
Mrs.Trevor caught his look.

"Shall I read it aloud to you, dear I Do you think you can stand it?
Remember it will be in answer to ours, telling them of--" "Oh, yes, yes," he said, eagerly, "do let me hear it." With instinctive delicacy Montagu and Wildney rose, but Eric pressed them to stay.