No, I'm not so good as that! I like it all--almost all. I thought I
liked it better till you came and brought a real true breath of
Micklethwayte. Oh! if I could only see Monsieur's dear curly head and
bright eyes!'

This had been the tenor of the talk, and these were the actual last
words before the whole five--just in the first streaks of
dawn--coalesced before the front door, to be admitted by a sleepy
servant; Mark tied up the horse for a moment, while Annaple sent the
man to waken Sir John Delmar, and say there had been a slight accident,
but no one was much hurt; and, as they all entered the warm,
dimly-lighted hall, they were keenly sensible that they had been
dancing or walking all night.

Rest in the chairs which stood round the big hearth and smouldering
wood-fire was so extremely comfortable, as they all dropped down, that
nobody moved or spoke, or knew how long it was before there was a voice
on the stairs--'Eh? what's this, Annaple? An accident? Where's Janet?'
and a tall burly figure, candle in hand, in a dressing-gown and
slippers, was added to the group.

'Janet will be at home presently, I hope,' said Annaple, 'but she got a
cut with some broken glass, and we sent her round by Dr. Raymond's to
get it set to rights. Oh, John! we came to grief on Bluepost Bridge
after all, and I'm afraid Robinson has got his leg broken!'

Sir John was a good-natured heavy man, whose clever wife thought for
him in all that did not regard horses, dogs, and game. He looked
perfectly astounded, and required to have all told him over again
before he could fully take it in. Then he uttered a suppressed
malediction on engines, insisted that all his impromptu guests should
immediately eat, drink, and sleep, and declared his intention of going
off at once to Redcastle to see about his wife.

The two gentlemen were committed to the charge of the butler, and
Annaple took Nuttie and May to her sister's dressing-room, where she
knew she should find fire and tea, and though they protested that it
was not worth while, she made them undress and lie down in a room
prepared for them in the meantime. It was a state chamber, with a big
bed, far away from the entrance, shuttered and curtained up, and with
double doors, excluding all noise. The two cousins lay down, Nuttie
dead asleep almost before her head touched the pillow, while May was
aching all over, declaring herself far too much tired and excited to
sleep; and, besides