ng. It was Sir John's will that I should tell
you the good news here, or you'd have all heard from me before I came
down to meet you by this path, and we'll all go up and thank him
presently."

"For what, father?" asked Molly.

"Why, the most wonderful thing," replied the Squire. "It seems that a
girl called Antonia--a strange girl whom I have only met once--put a
thought into my old friend's head, and he has acted on it in such a way
that, without anything being done which I could not accept, I am enabled
to continue as owner of the Towers."

"Oh, father!" said Guy, with a great gasp.

"Yes, my boy," continued the Squire, "I need not sell now. Sir John has
lent me money to get over my difficulties, and on such easy terms that
it will be possible to pay him back in the course of years without
ruining any of us. Drummond was glad to be out of his bargain, so the
whole thing was settled last night. We'll be poor enough still, but we
need not leave the Towers; and if we are all careful, and I let my farms
well--by the way, Sir John is going to take two of them--I have not the
least doubt that the debt will be cleared away by the time you are of
age, Guy. Anyhow, I feel like a new man. I can hold up my head once
more, and all I can say is, God bless Antonia!"

"What's the matter, Jane?" exclaimed Boris.

"Hoots!" said Jane, whose face was nearly purple. "I felt this morning
that I needn't go on sewing up those feather beds."

She turned her head aside, and, to the amazement of everyone, burst into
tears.

Those tears of Jane's seemed to loosen all tongues. Eyes grew bright,
eager voices flew, lips were wreathed in smiles. All the Lorrimers in a
body went up to the Grange, where Sir John and his family came out to
meet and welcome them.

"And where's Antonia?" asked the Squire.

Everyone else, even Mrs. Bernard Temple, was present, but Antonia was
not to be found. Annie volunteered to go and look for her.

After a long search she found her at last busily painting some huge dock
leaves, which she had found in her morning ramble, and pulled up by the
roots.

"Come, Antonia, you are wanted," said Annie.

"What for?" said Antonia. "Pray don't stand in my light, Annie."

"But they're all waiting for you, every one of them--the Lorrimers, and
Hester, and Sir John, and the rest. They want to thank you; it was your
doing, you know."

"Of all things in the world," replied Antonia, "I hate being thanked
most of all