"No--no, I am quite certain she is everything that is charming. If your protege is only half as lovely, I shall be reconciled to the duty Mr. Farnham has so unreasonably--I must say, imposed upon me," persisted the lady. The gentleman observed gravely that the idea of adopting a child was no trifling matter, and walked on till they surprised the little girls at their play. The chain broke, the girls scattered through the thickets like a flock of frightened birds. The lame girl dropped Isabel's hand and limped away, leaving the beautiful child all alone save Mary Fuller, who had stopped singing and sat quietly on the grass. "I am afraid we have frightened your little friends away," said the gentleman, addressing the child, with a bland and gentle manner; "we did not intend to do that!" His voice seemed to startle the children. Isabel turned to her friend, with a glad smile. "Oh, Mary, it is he!" Mary started up from the grass. "Oh, sir, we are so glad to see you!" Judge Sharp took her hand--"You must be glad to see this lady, too." Mary blushed, and looked timidly at the lady. Mrs. Farnham stepped back, holding up both hands, as if to prevent the child approaching. "Judge--Judge Sharp, you don't mean to say that this is the child? Little girl, is your name Chester!" "No," answered Mary, "that is Isabel Chester--I am only Mary Fuller." Isabel drew close to her friend. "She's just the same as me--just like my own, own sister, ma'am." The lady turned to Judge Sharp, and shook her mourning parasol at him. "Oh, you naughty wicked man, to frighten me so; but is this dear, pretty darling really the policeman's daughter? I won't believe it yet--how providential, isn't it?" "I thought you would like her," answered the Judge. "Like her, indeed; won't she be a lovely pet!" answered the lady, much as she would have spoken of a King Charles spaniel; "how brave she is, too; when all the others ran off she remained!" "Mary stayed, too," said Isabel, gliding one arm around her friend's waist; "besides, I dare say they were not afraid, ma'am, they only felt a little strange to play before people they didn't know, I suppose! They don't mind the doctor or the matrons in the least!" "But you are not afraid of strangers!" said the lady. "You didn't run away and hide in the bushes when we came up, but stood all alone like a dear love of a little girl." Isabel glanced at Mary Fuller. "She was here, ma'am, just as much as I was." The gentleman turned and looked earnestly at Mary. There was something in her face that pleased him even more than Isabel's beauty. From the first she had been his favorite. "And what is this little girl to you?" he said, very kindly. "Oh, she is everything, everything in the wide world to me now!" answered Isabel with tears in her eyes. "You know, sir, Mr. and Mrs. Chester died," said Mary, with gentle humility. "And now we are left alone together."