s France opposite. I shut my eyes
and see the whole country, but it is like what I feel for Edward--all in
dark moonlight. Oh! I trust him so! I bleed for him. I could make all
my veins bleed out at a sad thought about him. And from France to
Switzerland and Italy. The sea sparkles just as if it said 'Come to
the sun;' and I am going. Edward calls. Shall I be punished for so much
happiness? I am too happy, I am too happy.

"God bless my beloved at home! That is my chief prayer now. I shall
think of her when I am in the cathedrals.

"Oh, my Father in heaven! bless them all! bless Rhoda! forgive me!

"I can hear the steam of the steamer at the pier. Here is Edward. He
says I may send his love to you.

"Address:--

"Mrs. Edward Ayrton,
"Poste Restante,
"Lausanne,
"Switzerland.

"P.S.--Lausanne is where--but another time, and I will always tell you
the history of the places to instruct you, poor heart in dull England.
Adieu! Good-bye and God bless my innocent at home, my dear sister. I
love her. I never can forget her. The day is so lovely. It seems on
purpose for us. Be sure you write on thin paper to Lausanne. It is on
a blue lake; you see snow mountains, and now there is a bell
ringing--kisses from me! we start. I must sign.

"Dahlia."

By the reading of this letter, Rhoda was caught vividly to the shore,
and saw her sister borne away in the boat to the strange countries;
she travelled with her, following her with gliding speed through a
multiplicity of shifting scenes, opal landscapes, full of fire and
dreams, and in all of them a great bell towered. "Oh, my sweet! my own
beauty!" she cried in Dahlia's language. Meeting Mrs. Sumfit, she called
her "Mother Dumpling," as Dahlia did of old, affectionately, and kissed
her, and ran on to Master Gammon, who was tramping leisurely on to the
oatfield lying on toward the millholms.

"My sister sends you her love," she said brightly to the old man. Master
Gammon responded with no remarkable flash of his eyes, and merely opened
his mouth and shut it, as when a duck divides its bill, but fails to
emit the customary quack.

"And to you, little pigs; and to you, Mulberry; and you, Dapple; and
you, and you, and you."

Rhoda nodded round to all the citizens of the farmyard; and so eased
her heart of its laughing bubbles. After which, she fell to a meditative
walk of demurer joy, and had a regret. It was simply that Dahlia