"I placed her on the couch, in the draw room, where you first saw Chappie; and turned my attention to the fire, while she battled with an almost overwhelming emotion. "Then she said: 'Mrs. Rivers, I am a missionary. I have just returned from abroad. I only reached London this morning. My little girl had to be sent on, nearly a year ago. I have just been living for the hour when I should see her again. They tell me, you, in your great kindness, have had her here for the Christmas holidays, and that she is here still. So I came straight on. I hope you will pardon the intrusion.' "'Intrusion!' I cried. 'Why, how could it be an intrusion? If you knew what it means to me when I hear of any of these bereft little boys and girls finding their parents again! But we have at least a dozen children here just now. What is the name of your little girl?' "'Her name is Eileen,' said the gentle voice, 'but we always call her "Little Fairy".' "David, my heart seemed to bound into my throat and stop there! "'Who--who are you?' I exclaimed. "The young widow on the sofa opened her arms with an unconscious gesture of love and longing. "'I am Little Fairy's mummie,' she said simply. "'But--' I cried; and stopped. I suppose my face completed the unfinished sentence. "'Oh, yes,' she said, 'I had forgotten you would know of the telegram. In some inexplicable way it got changed in transit. It was my husband's death it should have announced, not mine. I lost him very suddenly, just as we were almost due to leave for home. I did not wish my children to be told until my return. I wanted to tell them myself.' "I rang the bell, and sent a message to Mrs. Mallory to send Little Fairy at once to the drawing-room. Then I knelt down in front of Fairy's mummie, and took both her trembling hands in mine. It does not come easy to me to be demonstrative, David, but I know the tears were running down my cheeks. "'Oh, you don't know what it has been!' I said. 'To think of you as dead and buried, thousands of miles away; and to hear that baby voice, singing in joyous confidence: "Mummie's tumming home!" And the little mouth kept its kisses so loyally for you. I was told each evening: "Not my mouf,--that's only for Mummie!" I used to think I _must_ tell her. Thank God, I didn't! And now----' "I broke off. Little Fairy's mummie was sobbing on my shoulder. We held each other, and cried together. "'You won't leave her again?' I said. "'Oh, no,' she whispered, 'never, never! I also have two little sons at school in England. _I_ never could feel it right to be parted from the children. It was my husband--who----' "Then we heard a little voice, singing on the stairs. "I ran out to the hall. "That sweet baby, in a white frock and blue sash, was tripping down the staircase. Mrs. Mallory's middle-class instincts had rapidly made her tidy. She looked a little picture as she came, holding by the dark oak banisters.