s a faithful, dutiful woman to walk rightly,
still the personal love and trust were not yet come. Spent as they had
been upon props of earth, when these were taken away the tendrils hung
down drearily, unemployed, not fastening on the true support.

Not that she did not kneel beside that little table, as in a shrine, and
entreat earnestly for strength and judgment to do her duty faithfully in
her new station, so that Humfrey's charge might be fulfilled, and his
people might not suffer; and this done, and her homage paid to his empty
throne, she was better able to satisfy her motherly friend by her
deportment for the remainder of the evening, and to reply to the welcome
of the weeping Mrs. Stubbs. By one of Humfrey's wise acts of foresight,
his faithful servant, Reeves, had been provided for as the master of the
Union, whither it was certain he would carry the same milk of human
kindness as had been so plentiful at Hiltonbury, and the Holt was thus
left free for Honora's Mr. Jones, without fear of clashing, though he was
divided between pride in his young lady's ownership of a 'landed estate,'
and his own dislike to a country residence.

Honora did not sleep soundly. The place was too new, and yet too
familiar, and the rattling of the windows, the roaring of the wind in the
chimney, and the creaking of the vane, without absolutely wakening her,
kept her hearing alive continually, weaving the noises into some
harassing dream that Humfrey's voice was calling to her, and hindrances
always keeping her from him; and then of Lucilla and Owen in some
imminent peril, whence she shrieked to him to save them, and then
remembered he would stretch out his hand no more.

Sounder sleep came at last, towards morning, and far later than her usual
hour she was wakened by a drumming upon her door, and the boy and girl
dashed in, radiant with excitement at the novelty of the place. 'Sweet
Honey! Sweet Honey dear, do get up and see. There's a rocking-horse at
the end of the passage.' 'And there's a real pony out in the field.'
'There are cows.' 'There's a goat and a little kid, and I want to play
with it, and I may, for it is all mine and yours.'

'All yours! Owen, boy,' repeated Honora, sitting up in surprise.

'Nursey said it was all to be Owen's,' said Lucilla.

'And she said I should be as grand a gentleman as poor Mr. Charlecote or
Uncle Charteris,' proceeded Owen, 'and that I should go out hunting in a
red coat, on a bea