"That's the McPhersons from London! What an ugly, proud-looking thing
Lady Jane is!" the girl thought, and in watching the carriage as it
drove toward the house she relaxed her vigilance so far that a huge blue
bottle-fly which had been skirting around the spot, for some time,
alighted squarely upon Archie's nose, and roused him from his slumber.
Yawning lazily, and stretching his long arms, he looked up, and seeing
his companion, called out, in a tone half familiar, half patronizing, as
he would address an inferior:
"Halloo, Daze, what are you doing here?"
"Keeping the sun and the flies off from you; they bite awfully this
morning," she answered, quietly, and Archie continued:
"Upon my word, Daze, you are a little trump, standing bareheaded in the
sun to shield me! How long have you been here?"
"Half an hour, perhaps; and I was getting tired," was the girl's reply;
but Archie did not ask her to sit down beside him, for he wanted all the
bench to lounge upon, and leaning upon his elbow he went on talking to
her, and answering her questions jestingly, until she said:
"How is your father?"
Then there came a shadow upon the face of the boy, who replied:
"He is worse, and they have sent for Uncle John and Lady Jane.
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