When, after Everard was gone, Tamsin took in the supper tray, she had to set her mouth hard in order to suppress the smile which would otherwise have puckered it. In place of the morning’s agitations and tears, the sisters were now complacently discussing the important question of what material Ethel’s wedding-dress should be made! “And now to come to the pecuniary part of the affair,” said Miss Matilda. “I should not like our dear girl to go to her husband quite empty-handed.” “Certainly not, sister. The same thought has been in my own mind. I do not suppose that Mr. Lisle’s position is a specially lucrative one.” “For my part, I should be quite willing to settle on Ethel my half-share of the rental of Vale View House, which, now that Mrs. Loftus has taken it on a seven years’ lease, will be a sure source of income for that length of time.” “It would make me very happy to do the same with my half-share. Now that we have grown used to our humbler style of living, we really don’t need the rent money. And in future there will be only our two selves, you know, sister.” “No, only our two selves,” echoed Miss Matilda, sadly. That night, when Tamsin went upstairs to her own room, she took out of a drawer her savings bank book and refreshed her memory as to the sum which stood there to her credit, and represented the savings of many laborious years. That sum she made up her mind should be very considerably depleted before she was much older. To what better use could she put the money than in buying a wedding-present for the child who had been, and would ever be, as dear to her rugged, but tender old heart as she could possibly be to the heart of Miss Matilda or Miss Jane! CHAPTER XLV. “COME BACK TO ME” Everard left St. Oswyth’s by the six o’clock train on Saturday morning. Four hours later he was in Liverpool. Taking a cab for himself and his portmanteau, he proceeded direct to the shipping office and there booked a berth on board the _Arbaces_ for New York. Thence he was driven to the landing-stage, where he found the tender whose duty it was to transfer the passengers and their luggage on board the huge liner anchored out in mid-stream.