The journey down to Herondale cannot be described: whenever Ida thought

of it in the after years, she felt herself trembling and quivering with

the memory of it. Until she had sat in the carriage, and the train had

started and she realised that she was indeed going home--home!--she did

not know what it had cost her to leave Herondale, how much she had

suffered at Laburnum Villa, how deep the iron of dependence had entered

her soul. She was all of a quiver with delight, with profound gratitude

to the Providence which was restoring her to the old house, the wide

moors, the brawling streams which she knew now were dearer to her than

life itself.

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Mr. Wordley understood, and was full of sympathy with her mood. He

bought newspapers and magazines, and he let her alone and pretended to

read; but every now and then she met his smiling glance, and knew by

his nod of the head that he was rejoicing with her.

He had wired for a carriage and pair to meet them at Bryndermere, and

Ida leant back and tried to be patient, then to look unconcerned and

calm and composed; but she uttered a little cry and nearly broke down

when the carriage stopped at the familiar gate, and Jessie, who was

standing there, with her hair blown wild by the wind, forgot the

inequalities of their positions, and catching her beloved young

mistress to her bosom crooned and sobbed over her.

Jason stood just behind, balancing himself first on one foot, and then

on the other, in his efforts to get a glimpse of Ida, and she stretched

out her arm over Jessee's shoulder and shook the honest hand which had

grown hard and horny in her service. Jessie almost carried her mistress

into the hall, where a huge fire was burning and threw a red and

cheerful glow over the fading gilding and grey-toned hangings.

"Oh, miss, how thin you be!" she said at last, as, with clasped hands,

she surveyed Ida from top to toe anxiously and greedily. "Wherever have

you been to look like that? But never mind, Miss Ida; you're back, and

that's everything! And we'll very soon get some flesh on your bones and

drive the sad look out of thee eyes." In moments of emotion and

excitement Jessie forgot the schooling Ida had given her, and lapsed

into semi-Westmoreland. "You've missed the moorland air, dearie, and

the cream and the milk--I've 'eard it's all chalk and water in

London--and I suppose there wasn't room to ride in them crowded

streets; and the food, too, I'm told it ain't fit for ordinary humans,

leave alone a dainty maid like my sweet mistress."




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