“It is the good living, my dear young lady. It is the pure air and fresh water and abundant food. It is the good living that has given us all new life, which we owe to your sweet, kind heart, Miss Emolyn!” said Susan Palmer, weeping for joy while she covered the hands of her benefactress with kisses. “It makes me so happy to see you so well and prosperous,” said the lady, as she gently withdrew her hands from Susan’s clasps and kisses, and seated herself in the nearest chair. “Em. has told me all you told her, but, oh, my dear young lady——” “I am not a young lady any longer, Susan,” said Emolyn, smiling sadly. “I am thirty-two and a half years old.” “That don’t seem possible, to look at you, Miss Emolyn, yet it must be so. You must be thirty-two, for you were sixteen when I saw you last, and that was nearly seventeen years ago! La! Em. was a baby then, and now she’s a young woman. And, Miss Emolyn, do you know we all think Em. the very print of you, as why wouldn’t she be when for months and months before she was born I did nothing but think of you and your troubles in your tyrant’s house, my poor, dear young lady, and your image was never out of my mind. But, oh, my dear child, where have you been all these years when we thought you in heaven?” “Oh, Susan Palmer, it is a long story! When I left the city after passing through that ordeal of fire and water, my guardian, dear Uncle Lewis Berners, took me to Dranesville for a few days. Then, when Pony came out to me, he wished to take us home with him to Virginia; but I could not bear to go. So he took me to Europe. But lay off your bonnet and shawl, dear old friend, for if I tell you all you wish to know, it will be some time before I get through.” “I am very much obleeged to you, Miss Emolyn, but I left my old man down in the boat, so it ain’t worth while to take off my things.” “Oh, why did he not come up?” “Well, honey, he thought we’d like to have a little talk by ourselves first.” “And he was right, ma’am, wasn’t he? And, mother, don’t be troubled. Father’ll fasten the boat and take a walk around the island, where he will see enough to interest him for hours yet,” said Em., as she took off her own hat and shawl and went up to Mrs. Palmer to take hers. “Now do you see the cool manner in which that girl takes her own way?” said Susan, as she gave Em. her bonnet and wraps. “Give them to the boy in the hall, my dear; he will put them away for you. And now, Susan Palmer, be easy until lunch time, which is not far off, and then I will send your daughter to fetch her father, and by the time he comes we will have got through all our confidential talk.”