That afternoon, as she was coming in from the stable Jessie came

running towards her.

"Oh, Miss Ida, there's Lord and Lady Bannerdale and Lady Vayne and two

of the young ladies in the drawing-room."

"Very well," said Ida, quietly; and removing her right-hand gauntlet,

she went straight into the drawing-room.

In accordance with her father's wish and her own, perhaps mistaken,

pride she had avoided all these people hitherto; but there was no need

to avoid them any longer; she was their equal in birth, and her newly

discovered wealth effectually removed any cause for pride. Lady

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Bannerdale, a motherly and good-natured woman, came forward to meet

her, and took her by both hands.

"My dear, we have come over at once to tell you how glad we are!" she

said. "We heard the good news from Mr. Wordley, and neither I nor my

husband could wait another day before we came to congratulate you."

Lady Vayne, too, held Ida's hand and looked at her with affectionate

sympathy.

"And we felt the same, my dear," she said; "so you must not think us

intrusive."

Ida shook hands with them all and rang for the tea. She was very quiet

and subdued, but the little cold look of surprise with which she had at

one time met their advances was now absent, and they could perceive

that she was glad to see them.

"Our joy in the good news is not altogether unselfish and

disinterested, my dear Miss Ida," said Lord Bannerdale. "That Heron

Hall should be shut up and deserted, while there is so charming a

mistress to represent the old family, was little short of a general

misfortune. You cannot tell how anxious and concerned we have been

about you--but we will say no more about that. I trust a brighter star

has risen above the old house, and that it is entering upon brighter

fortunes. At any rate, let that be as it may, we want you to believe

how delighted we are to have you back again, and under such happy

auspices." "And we want to say, too, dear," said Lady Bannerdale, while

Lady Vayne nodded assentingly, "that we hope you have really come back

to us, that you will be one of us and let us see a great deal of you.

Of course, under the circumstances," she glanced at Ida's black dress,

"we are debarred from expressing our pleasure in festivity; but we hope

you will come to us quite quietly, and very often, and that you will

let us treat you as one of our own dear girls."




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