e must do nothing yet; I must think about it a little
longer. I have a different feeling this morning from what I had
yesterday. Something seems to tell me that I must go back to Robert some
time--after a little while. I loved him once better than all the world,
and I have never had any children to love. There were things in me that
were wrong, and I should like to make up for them if I can.'

'Well, my dear, I won't persuade you. Think of it a little longer. But
something must be done soon.'

'How I wish I had my bonnet, and shawl, and black gown here!' said Janet,
after a few minutes' silence. 'I should like to go to Paddiford Church
and hear Mr. Tryan. There would be no fear of my meeting Robert, for he
never goes out on a Sunday morning.'

'I'm afraid it would not do for me to go to the house and fetch your
clothes,' said Mrs. Raynor.

'O no, no! I must stay quietly here while you two go to church. I will be
Mrs. Pettifer's maid, and get the dinner ready for her by the time she
comes back. Dear good woman! She was so tender to me when she took me in,
in the night, mother, and all the next day, when I couldn't speak a word
to her to thank her.'

Chapter 21

The servants at Dempster's felt some surprise when the morning, noon, and
evening of Saturday had passed, and still their mistress did not
reappear.

'It's very odd,' said Kitty, the housemaid, as she trimmed her next
week's cap, while Betty, the middle-aged cook, looked on with folded
arms. 'Do you think as Mrs. Raynor was ill, and sent for the missis afore
we was up?'

'O,' said Betty, 'if it had been that, she'd ha' been back'ards an'
for'ards three or four times afore now; leastways, she'd ha' sent little
Ann to let us know.'

'There's summat up more nor usual between her an' the master, that you
may depend on,' said Kitty. 'I know those clothes as was lying i' the
drawing-room yesterday, when the company was come, meant summat. I
shouldn't wonder if that was what they've had a fresh row about. She's
p'raps gone away, an's made up her mind not to come back again.'

'An' i' the right on't, too,' said Betty. 'I'd ha' overrun him long afore
now, if it had been me. I wouldn't stan' bein' mauled as she is by no
husband, not if he was the biggest lord i' the land. It's poor work bein'
a wife at that price: I'd sooner be a cook wi'out perkises, an' hev
roast, an' boil, an' fry, an' bake, all to mind at once. She may well do
as she does. I know I'