CHAPTER XXXVIII.

IN THE MUSEUM.

"AH! Here you are!" said Otto.

There were Hugh, Daisy, and Randall, all eagerly peeping out of the train at Kensington.

"Here is Mr. Leigh," exclaimed Randall, turning round to Gertrude. "You see he did not keep us waiting, did he?"

This referred to a discussion Hugh and Daisy had carried on during the short journey, as to who would be at Kensington first.

Otto helped them out of the carriage, and then pointed to the way out, telling the children not to get too far in front.

"Randall, my dear, keep near me," said Gertrude; "you are 'mother's baby,' and must be taken care of!"

She said it with a playful smile, but Randall did not respond pleasantly.

"I can take care of myself," he said, with a shrug. "I don't want to be tied to girls' aprons!"

He walked, however, just in front of her, close to the heels of his brother and sister, Otto and Gertrude bringing up the rear.

"I will not tell you till we get out of these noisy streets," said Otto, "but I feel as if I had so many things to say, that I hardly know where to begin!"

"I must not ask, then, whether they are back from Dr. Blank's?"

"You may ask," he said, smiling, "but I shall not answer."

"Then I had better not put the question," laughed Gertrude. "You are, however, cheerful to-day, Otto!"

"That is because I am so glad to see you."

"Are you? So am I glad, Otto. I never prized friends so much before."

He had glanced up eagerly at the beginning of her answer, but as her voice took a more formal tone at the end, his eyes went back to the contemplation of the busy traffic.

"I should be sorry to live in London," he said quietly.

"So should I, unless—"

"Unless?" he asked, rather eagerly.

"Unless those I loved had to live here; of course that makes such a difference."

"Yes," he said.

They came now to the Museum, and here the children turned to them, asking what they were to see first, and which way was it to go?

They were all so inexperienced that Otto told them they had better walk straight on for a little while, keeping their eyes open meanwhile.

"Above all things, do not let us get separated," said Gertrude. "Keep close to us, Hugh and Daisy. Will Randall like to be with you or with me?"

"We will take him," said Daisy.

"Yes, I'll go with them," said Randall.

They soon came to the large Hall, and here Otto proposed to sit down, while the children walked about examining the various objects of interest.

He found a seat for Gertrude, and when some one moved away, he sat down beside her.

"May I ask now?" she said. "Oh, Otto, do tell me!"

"They have been, Gertrude! Dr. Blank has examined little Lester thoroughly."

"And he says—"

"That time, and care, and love 'may' restore him."

"Oh, Otto! How thankful I am."

"He says that one-room-business of Mrs. Swift's would soon have finished the story. But now, he hopes with plenty of sunshine, and sea air, and patience—Gertrude, he says he will need infinite patience."

"Rose can give that."

"Yes, no one better, unless it were you."

"I? I should not be half as patient as Rose! Besides, she is his mother."

"Oh, yes; that makes a great difference, of course."

"Are they going home?"

"Not for a few days."

Gertrude sighed with relief. Then she might see Rose once more perhaps.

"You are not happy here, Gertrude, are you?" asked Otto, suddenly turning and looking her in the face.

"I was, oh, as happy as I could be away from you all, till this about Lester happened. That has unsettled me, I think. Why do you ask, Otto? I do not look unhappy, do I?"

"You look different," he said consideringly. "Yes, as I thought, not so happy."

"I shall feel all right again directly all this is settled, Otto. You can hardly believe all I have gone through."

He was silent, his eyes following the three children as they slowly walked round the large room, coming nearer and nearer.

"It is hard sometimes to square one's wishes with one's possibilities," he said at length.

"Very," she answered; "that is where discipline comes in, Otto. Like my text this morning, 'Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?'"

"Was that your text, dear Gertrude? What did you answer?"

"I asked that whatever He pointed out for me to do, I might do willingly."

"Ah! That speaks to me."

"Does it not speak to all of us?"

The children had reached them now.

"May we go into the next room?" asked Randall.

"We will come too," said Gertrude, rising.

"There's no need," said Randall, "but you can do as you like, Miss Ashlyn. I wish Mr. Leigh would come and explain this old furniture to us."

"So I will," said Otto readily. "Gertrude, sit still and rest till I come back."

He went off with them. And Gertrude sat down again and thought over the conversation which had just passed, wondering at Otto's manner, which had constraint in it which she had not remembered at home.

Then once more, she thought of her text as settling all wonderings, and giving quiet and peace in the midst of every circumstance.

"Lord, what wilt 'Thou' have me to do?" And in that will and that Lord, she took refuge and found her rest.

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