you
are a king, a sick woman, or a baby?"

"Well, Aunt, I don't think I am any of them at present."

"Then you have no business to ride in a caroche till you are. I never
heard of such a thing in my life. A man to ride in a caroche! We shall
have them hemming handkerchiefs to-morrow."

"You won't have me," said Aubrey.

"I won't have you in there," retorted Temperance bluntly, "without my
Lady Lettice call you in, and that she won't. Will you, Madam?"

"Certainly not, my dear, after your decision," she replied. "Indeed, I
do think it too effeminate for men, persons of high honour except, or
them that are sick and infirm."

"That rascal's not sick, any more than he's a person of honour.--Thee
bestride thy horse, lad--without thou canst find an ass, which would
suit with thee better.--Now, Hans, come and help me to mount."

When all were mounted, the six great horses tugged and strained at the
big coach, and with a good push from the four farm-servants, it moved
forwards, at first slowly, then faster. The farm-servants stood
bareheaded, to see the family depart, crying, "God bless you, my Lady,
and bring you home in peace!"

Faith sank back sobbing into the corner, and there were tears in Edith's
eyes which she would not let fall.

"Farewell!" said Lady Louvaine, leaning forward. "Farewell, my good,
kind old friends--Thomas, William, Isaac, and Gideon--I wish you God's
blessing, and a better head than I."

"Nay, nay, that'll ne'er be, nor couldn't, no wise!" cried old Gideon,
and the rest all echoed his "Nay, nay!"

"Farewell!" said his mistress again, somewhat faintly, as she sank back
into the corner. "Friends, God will bless me, and He shall bring me
home in peace."

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Note 1. The thrum is the fringed end of a weaver's web; a thrum hat was
made of very coarse tufted woollen cloth.

Note 2. This was quite a common occurrence at that time, when
men-servants were usually better educated, and ladies and gentlemen much
less so, than now.

CHAPTER TWO.

THE JOURNEY TO LONDON.

"And yet, I do remember, some dim sense
Of vague presentiment
Swept o'er me, as beyond the gates we turned
To make the long descent."

At the bridge-end, as they came up, were Milisent and her husband, with
seven of their nine children,--even little Fortune, but five years old,
whom Milisent lifted into the coach and se