oak, with the hood
tied over her head by Mrs. Egremont's lace shawl; Nuttie had a huge
white cloud over her head, and a light blue opera cloak; Annaple had
'rowed herself in a plaidie' like the Scotch girl she was, and her eyes
flashed out merrily from its dark folds. They all disdained the
gentlemen's self-denying offers of their ulsters, and only Nuttie
consented to have the carriage-rug added to her trappings, and
ingeniously tied on cloak-fashion with her sash by Gerard. He and Mark
piloted the three ladies over the narrow border of the hole, which
looked a very black open gulf. Annaple had thanked the men, and bidden
them come to Lescombe the next day to be paid for their assistance.
Then they all stood to watch Mark ride through the river, at the
shallowest place, indicated both by her and the labourers. It was
perfectly fordable, so Annaple's were mock heroics when she quoted--

'Never heavier man and horse
Stemmed a midnight torrent's force.'

And Nuttie responded in a few seconds--

'Yet through good heart and our Ladye's grace
Full soon he gained the landing place.'

They were both in high spirits, admiring each other's droll appearance,
and speculating on the ghosts they might appear to any one who chanced
to look out of window. Annaple walked at the horse's head, calling him
poor old Robin Hood, and caressing him, while Gerard and Nuttie kept
together.

May began to repent of her determination to walk; Lescombe seemed very
far off, and she had an instinct that she was an awkward fifth wheel.
Either because Robin Hood walked too fast for her weary limbs, or
because she felt it a greater duty to chaperon Nuttie than Annaple, she
fell back on the couple in the rear, and was rather surprised at the
tenor of their conversation.

This 'umbrella man' was telling of his vicar's delight in the beautiful
chalice veil that had been sent by Mrs. Egremont, and Nuttie was
communicating, as a secret she ought not to tell, that mother was
working a set of stoles, and hoped to have the white ones ready by the
dedication anniversary; also that there was a box being filled for the
St. Ambrose Christmas tree. They were trying to get something nice for
each of the choir boys and of the old women; and therewith, to May's
surprise, this youth, whom she regarded as a sort of shopman, fell into
full narration of all the events of a highly-worked parish,--all about
the choral fe