"I have been thinking about your mother," she said. "Why not ask her to come and live with us. Would she like it?" Luke's whole face lit up. "That is exactly what I should wish, dearest," he said. "But will it put more on you? Happily we have Emma, and two servants ought to be able to work the house well." "Anyhow," said Rachel, "we might try the experiment." "I'll write this morning," said Luke joyfully. "No, it would come better from you. And Rachel," he said, with a little hesitation, "call her 'mother' will you? That would bring her I know. She would feel we really wanted her." Rachel laughed. Had she not laughed she would have cried. "All right," she said. "You shall see my letter before it goes." Luke was overjoyed. He was so glad that he had been right. There was evidently no feeling whatever against his mother's coming in Rachel's judgment. In fact she was evidently pleased at the suggestion. He would write also and tell his mother that she had been quite wrong in imagining that his wife would not like the plan. Rachel dashed off her letter as quickly as she could lest her heart should fail her, and showed it to Luke. "Dear Mother," she wrote; "Why not come and live with us? You would like this place and would feel much less lonely than living on in Trowsby. We do not like to think of you there by yourself." "Your affectionate daughter-in-law," "Rachel." Rachel pointed to the beginning as Luke took it in his hands, saying, "I have called her mother for love of you." [Illustration] CHAPTER XXV. THE DISTURBING ELEMENT. "We must have a Baby Show before the summer is over," said Mrs. Greville, as she sat in the garden by Rachel's side darning stockings, "and next year a Flower Show. The village has been dreadfully neglected, evidently, by the last Rector." "I don't think so," said Rachel. "He was a splendid visitor and was looked upon as a father by the people." "Perhaps; but there is nothing social by which to draw the people together. Now a Women's Institute ought to be started." "But you must remember there is not a single helper in the parish with the exception of a very nice farmer's daughter, who conducts the whole Sunday School. It would be impossible to start things here that need helpers." But Mrs. Greville was not to be put off. "I expect if helpers were really looked for they would be found. I'll look round the parish and see what I can do." Rachel sighed. "You won't make the people want things that they can't have, will you?" she said. "Certainly not. But there is no need to say they can't have them. Anyhow I am here to help; and anything in the way of writing I am sure you could do. There are two workers at once." "Oh, you must not think of me as a worker," said Rachel. "I can only just live." She had been more conscious of her weakness since her mother-in-law's advent than ever before.