"Oh, I am so glad, for I do, and I do want her to be my companion; we
can have such fun on the rocks, Milly."
"Yes, dear; I trust you will be firm friends as well as companions.
Milly has been longing for sister Lena."
"And I have been longing for her," was Lena's answer.
"You have been very quick putting Lucy to bed: was she good?" asked Mrs.
Graham.
"Oh, Hester did that; she was quite good with her, and Aunt Mary said I
had better not stay, for she wanted her to grow accustomed to Hester."
"And where are you to sleep?"
"In the room with Lucy. I took off my things there, and I thought you
might want me to help you."
"Oh, let me do that to-night," pleaded Lena.
"I shall be glad of help from you both. We have been idling our time
away here talking instead of getting ready for dinner, and nothing is
unpacked."
So saying, Mrs. Graham returned to her room, followed by the two girls,
and very soon they were both busily engaged, undoing parcels, and
getting out things that were required for the night. At first they
delayed one another by both working at the same box, and strewing its
contents over the floor. Such dreadful confusion ensued from this, that
Mrs. Graham proposed that one should do the unpacking, while the other
put the things away tidily in the drawers.
"Who shall unpack?" asked Lena.
"Well, I think you had better, and Milly can put away, for she knows
what we shall require at first."
"I shall know soon, too, shan't I?" asked Lena; "but I like unpacking
best, and seeing what you have got."
"You will never get through your work if you stop to examine and admire
everything," said Mrs. Graham, as she watched her taking a good look at
each thing she brought out of the box.
Milly took the opportunity while she was stooping down to take some
clothes out of Lena's arms, to whisper, "I like the flowers so much."
"Do you know which are meant for you?" she asked, stopping in her work
for a reply.
"Yes, the primroses, Aunt Mary told me. I think them lovely."
After this they worked away busily until dinner-time. Then, when the
bell sounded, Lena rushed off to tell Aunt Mary what she had been doing,
and also to inform her that they were all dear darlings; and, "what did
Auntie think of Milly?"
Auntie's opinion was very favourable.