And childish voices were now heard in their rear making the same inquiry--Rosie and Walter coming from the nursery in search of the mother they never willingly lost sight of for an hour. "Why, what can have become of mamma? Rosie, when did you see her last?" asked Harold. "Out on the lawn. She was walking with us, and grandpa came and took her away." "Where to?" "I don't know," answered the child, bursting into tears. "There, there, don't cry; dear mamma's sure to be safe along with grandpa," Harold said, putting his arms around his little sister. "And here he comes to tell us about her," he added joyously, as Mr. Dinsmore was seen coming down the hall. They crowded about him, the same question on every tongue. "She is with Mrs. Carrington," he said, patting the heads of the weeping Rosie and Walter. "Don't cry, my children. She may not be able to join us at tea, but you shall see her before you go to your beds." Then to the older ones, speaking in a subdued tone, "Boyd is gone, and his aunt is much overcome." "Gone, Horace!" exclaimed his wife, looking shocked and awe-struck: "how did he die? was there any ground for hope?" "Very little," he sighed, "that is the saddest part of it. The body will be sent away to-night," he added, in answer to a question from his father; "he is to be buried with the rest of his family. Mrs. Carrington will not go with it, will probably remain here through the winter." All felt it a relief that the burial was not to be near at hand, or the corpse to remain many hours in the house--"a wicked man's corpse," as Harold said with a shudder, but all were saddened and horror-struck at the thought that he had gone leaving so little reason for hope of his salvation. They gathered at the supper-table a very quiet, solemn company; few words were spoken; the little ones missed their mother and were glad to get away to the nursery, where she presently came to them, looking sad and with traces of recent tears about her eyes. But she smiled very sweetly upon them, kissed them tenderly, and sitting down, took Walter on her lap and put an arm round Rosie as she stood by her side. They were curious to know about Mr. Boyd, asking if he had gone to heaven where dear papa and Lily were. "I do not know, my darlings," she answered, the tears coming into her eyes again; "he is there if he repented of his sins against God, and trusted in Jesus." Then she talked to them, as often before, of the dear Saviour--the great love wherewith he loves his people, and the many mansions he is preparing for them. She spoke to them, too, of God's hatred of sin, and the need of watchfulness and prayer. "The devil hates us, my darlings," she said; "he goes about like a roaring lion, seeking to kill our souls; but Jesus loves us, he is stronger than Satan, and if we keep close to him we are safe." Having seen them safe in bed, she went to her dressing-room, to find the other four there waiting for her.