Page 146 - Fairbrass

presumably, a life of pleasure ; but under it
Fairbrass and his constant companion Pax

seemed crushed.

The only member of the family who
appeared unaltered by the change in their

fortunes was his beautiful and sweet-natured

eldest sister. As of old, she was never
weary of attending to his little wants, of

anticipating his smallest wishes. To be

sure, she had the daily companionship of
her lover to remind her of quieter times,

and Fairbrass was never so happy as when
walking with them, and with Pax at his

heels, through the grass-grown drives of the

pine-woods, of which, little fellow though
he was, he was lord and master. He was

never weary of listening to their expressions

of love for each other in the present, and of
hope for the future.

But this was not to last. Suddenly the
lover’s visits to the B ig House ceased, and

the sister’s face became pale and tearful.

To Fairbrass she was as gentle and loving
as ever j but she was manifestly in sore