He came forward to meet the children with kindly
interest in his face.
"Well, Fixie, my boy, and how are you?" he said, lifting the fragile
little figure in his arms. "Why, I think you are a little bit fatter
and a little bit rosier than this time last year. And this is your
sister that I _don't_ know," he went on, turning to Rosy,
"and--why, bless my soul! here's another old friend--my busy Bee. I
had no idea Mrs. Warwick had left her with you," he exclaimed to Mrs.
Vincent.
Mrs. Warwick was Beata's mother. I don't think I have before told you
Bee's last name.
"I was just going to tell you about it, when the children came in,"
said Rosy's mother. "I knew Cecilia would be so glad to know Bee was
with us, and not at school, when her poor grandmother grew too ill to
have her."
"Yes, indeed," said Mr. Furnivale, "Cecy will be glad to hear it. She
had no idea of it. And so when you all come to pay us that famous
visit we have been talking about, Bee must come too--eh, Bee?"
Bee's eyes sparkled. She liked kind, old Mr. Furnivale, and she had
been very fond of his pretty daughter.
"Is Cecy much better?" she asked, in her gentle little voice.
"_Much_ better. We're hoping to come back to settle in England
before long, and have a nice house like yours, and then you are all to
come to see us," said Mr. Furnivale.
They went on talking for a few minutes about these pleasant plans, and
in the interest of hearing about Cecilia Furnivale, and hearing all
her messages, Rosy, who had never seen her, and who was quite a
stranger to her father too, was naturally left a little in the
background.
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