"You must never forget all that you have lived through, Connie," he
said. "You'll be a better and a braver girl just because of these dark
days."
"She's the best wench on 'arth," said Harris.
Suddenly Ronald sprang forward and spoke.
"Uncle Stephen said I was to tell you he has bought the cottage in the
country where Mrs. Cricket lives and he's adding to it and making it
most beautiful, and dear Mrs. Cricket is to be housekeeper, and you're
all to come down in the summer--all of you--even Giles; and Giles is to
stay there as long as he lives. Uncle Stephen is a splendid man,"
continued Ronald. "It was after him my darling V. C. father took when he
became so great and brave and manly, and I love Uncle Stephen better
than any one except father. Father hasn't come home yet, and perhaps I
won't see him until Giles sees his father. But I'm a very, very happy
boy, and it's all because of Uncle Stephen. Now, the rest of you can be
happy too in my cottage--Uncle Stephen says it _is_ my cottage--in the
beautiful country."
* * * * *
These things came to pass, and even Giles went for a short time to the
beautiful country, where the flowers grew in such abundance, and where
the birds sang all day long.
"Now you can guess," he said to Sue after they had been there a
fortnight or more, "some little bit about the joys of the Land of Pure
Delight.
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