It was Nesta, after all, the youngest, the darling, who made her mother perfectly comfortable, for whatever her faults Nesta could not for a single moment be anything but natural. She came in soberly enough; but when she saw her parent she forgot everything, but just that this was Mothery, and once she had been a terrible beast to that same mother, and she made a little run across the room and dropped on her knees and took her mother's hand and kissed it, and kissed it, and kissed it. "Oh, you darling, you darling! You sweet! You sweet! There never was any one like you, mothery, never, never, never! Do let me press my cheek against yours. Oh, you sweet! You pet!" Mrs Aldworth gave one glance of loving triumph at Marcia. Was she not right? Did not her children adore her? Marcia must see it now for herself. Marcia sat down on a chair and breathed a sigh of relief. Little Nesta was right enough. Little Nesta was better in her conduct than either of her sisters. "You will come in, of course, and say good-night to me, darling," said Mrs Aldworth when Nurse Davenant made her appearance with the invalid's tea most temptingly prepared. "Oh yes, if we may." "You may all come in and out as much as you please, and as often as mother wants you," said Marcia. "There is no restraint; no limit of time. You do just as you like." "Then I expect my own dear sweet pet mothery will be getting a little tired of me," was Nesta's response, "for I'll be wanting to be always and always with her, see if I don't!" and Nesta kissed her mother's hand again rapturously. "Oh, what tempting toast," she said, "and how nice that tea looks." Mrs Aldworth smiled. "They are dear girls," she said to Marcia when the door closed on Nesta. "I am glad they're home, and how terribly the sweet pets have missed me." CHAPTER THIRTEEN. A SURPRISE VISIT. The girls soon settled down into the old routine of home life. They got accustomed to their pretty room, which truth to tell they kept in anything but perfect order. They were accustomed to the fact that Mrs Aldworth was a greater invalid than before, but was also well looked after, and was so guarded by Marcia and Nurse Davenant that nobody dared to neglect her. The shadow of that awful night receded farther end farther into the back recesses of their brains; they still had the Carters to love and worship; and Nesta still adored her friend Flossie Griffiths. A week went by--a fortnight. The weather was intensely hot. Had it been possible, the doctor would have ordered Mrs Aldworth to the seaside; but although her strength returned up to a certain point, she did not seem to go beyond it.