"Not so very much older. People say she has aged quickly. I would do anything to please you, Anstice dearest; but I really don't know what I can do in this matter. I think you are dispelling all the bitterness in my nature, for I can think of Grace now with pity. I was really more to blame than she was. I'll write to her if you like. I can but have another try." With this promise, Anstice was content. She was so happy herself, that she longed for others to be so too. She could not forget Miss Holme's unhappy face. When they returned home, Justin shut himself into his smoking-room. And later on, when the children were safely in bed, he showed her his letter. It was very brief. "MY DEAR GRACE,— "From what I hear, you happened upon my wife and boy the other day in the Fells. Will you come over one day next week to lunch and renew your acquaintance? Let bygones be bygones. I was to blame, and ask you to forgive and forget the past. "We lunch at one. "Your affec. brother, "JUSTIN." Anstice smiled up at her husband, then placed her hand on his shoulder caressingly. "You'll carry a light heart now, and I believe she will respond." The letter went its way, and two days later the answer came. "DEAR JUSTIN,— "I was impressed with your small son, and I confess should like to see more of him. We will consider the past as a sealed page. Expect me on Tuesday. "Your affec. sister, "GRACE." "Ruffie wins everybody's heart," said Anstice. "And what about you?" "Oh, I'm a negligible quantity," said Anstice, laughing. "Now, Justin, you must explain your sister's existence to your children. You can do that better than I can." "I will try," he said, and he went straight away and did it. The little girls were much interested. "Have we really an aunt? Where has she been all this time? Why has she never been to see us?" "She doesn't live very near us," said Justin rather awkwardly. "And she's the lady who said she knew you as a little boy," said Ruffie; "how very funny that she did not know she must be my aunt! She didn't speak nice of you, Dad; she said you only loved one person, and that was yourself, and I told her you loved me!" "You were right to stand up for your old Dad," said Justin. "Perhaps I had better tell you straight out that, long ago, your aunt and I disagreed about something, and we thought it was best for us to live away from each other. But we're going to be friends again, and I hope you'll all be very pally and nice to her when you see her." "Oh, Steppie will be nice to her," said Georgie. "We'll see what she's like first, before we get pally with her." So on the following Tuesday, Miss Holme came over to lunch, and her brother greeted her in a very quiet, matter-of-fact way. "Glad to see you, Grace. I want you to know my wife."