Miss Betty shook her head darkly and prophesied that her precious Di would one day love some man as no man in her opinion deserved to be loved!

“And she’ll have love badly,” she said, clicking her knitting-needles energetically. “ I know these temperamental children!”

“She looks so melancholy,” ventured the widow.

“Well there you are wrong!” replied Miss Betty. “ ’Tis the sunniest-tempered child, and the sweetest-natured in the whole wide world, bless her! But I don’t deny that she can be miserable. Far from it. Why, I’ve known her weep her pretty eyes out over a dead puppy even! But usually she is gay enough.”

“I fear this house will be dull and stupid for her,” said Madam Thompson regretfully. “If only my dear son George were at home to entertain her⁠—”