'It is a beautiful thing,' said mamma, in which I quite agreed with her, though we both wondered a little why she was exhibiting it at all to us so minutely.
'But Will isn't at all pleased with us for bringing it here,' Miss Trevor continued. 'He says he never wants to see it again; it reminds him of his worst time, and he says I must get rid of it. He prefers sitting out among the pines in a quite well sort of way. So--it just struck mother and me, that _perhaps_ it might be some little use to you, down so near the sea where there is no shade,' and she glanced at us half timidly.
'Oh!' I exclaimed, before mamma had time to speak, 'it would be splendid--just in front of the little porch. We could really make a sort of tiny room with it, and you could be _so_ comfortable, mamma, on sunny days. Oh, do say we may have it!'
Miss Trevor seemed delighted, and mamma smiled at my enthusiasm.
'It is a charming chair,' she said, 'far more than a chair indeed--I scarcely know what to call it. It is most kind of you to have thought of it for us, Miss Trevor, and if you are so good as to lend it to us, you may be sure we shall take the greatest care of it. And, of course, if Mr. William Trevor ever wants to have it while you are here, you must not for an instant hesitate to tell us and we should send it back at once.'
'Oh, but,' she said, 'you don't quite understand, Mrs. Lanark. We want you to have it for good--to keep, I mean, if you care for it. I am perfectly certain that Will won't want it. In fact, he says he hates the sight of it. And down at the Hut, it might be of use, even after you have moved up here again. I will have it wheeled down to you to-morrow morning; it may need a little cleaning up first. The wheels are quite strong enough for a short journey, especially with no one inside. I only meant that it is not built in the peculiarly strong way a regular Bath-chair needs to be.'
I did feel so pleased to know it was to be our very own, and so, I think, did mamma. For when things are lent, there is always a rather fidgety feeling, for fear they should get spoilt in any way. And Miss Trevor had said it so nicely--as if our taking it would really be doing them a favour. For, of course, from almost complete strangers it is a little difficult to accept presents, though mamma has often told us that to receive a kindness graciously is quite as much a duty as to offer one.