quickening her pace, she fairly ran through lane and
barnyard, and finally burst into the kitchen, breathless and exhausted,
but radiant. The farmer and his wife, who were sitting with disturbed
and anxious looks, rose hastily as she entered.

"Oh, Hilda, dear!" cried Dame Hartley, "we have been terribly frightened
about you. Jacob has been searching--But, good gracious, child!" she
added, breaking off hastily, "where have you been, and what have you
been doing to get yourself into such a state!"

Well might the good woman exclaim, while the farmer gazed in silent
astonishment. The girl's dress was torn and draggled, and covered with
great spots and splashes of black. Her face was streaked with dirt, her
fair hair hanging loose upon her shoulders. Could this be Hilda, the
dainty, the spotless? But her eyes shone like stars, and her face,
though very pale, wore a look of triumphant delight.

"I have found him!" she said, simply. "My little Jock! Simon threw him
into the wheel-pit of the old mill, and I went to get him out. His leg
is broken, but I know you can set it, Nurse Lucy. Don't look so
frightened," she added, smiling, seeing that the farmer and his wife
were fairly pale with horror; "it was not so _very_ bad, after all." And
in as few words as might be, she told the story of Bubble's note and of
her strange expedition.

"My child! my child!" cried Dame Hartley, putting her arms round the
girl, and weeping as she did so. "How could you do such a fearful thing?
Think, if your foot had slipped you might be lying there now yourself,
in that dreadful place!" and she shuddered, putting back the tangle of
fair hair with trembling fingers.

"Ah, but you see, my foot _didn't_ slip, Nurse Lucy!" replied Hilda,
gayly. "I wouldn't _let_ it slip! And here I am safe and sound, so it's
really absurd for you to be frightened now, my dear!"

"Why in the name of the airthly didn't ye wait till I kem home, and let
me go down for ye?" demanded the farmer, who was secretly delighted
with the exploit, though he tried to look very grave.

"Oh! I--I never thought of it!" said Hildegarde. "My only thought was to
get down there as quickly as possible. So I waited till I heard you
coming, for I didn't want to leave Nurse Lucy alone; and then--I went!
And I will not be scolded," she added quickly, "for I think I have made
a great discovery." She held one hand behind her as she spoke, and her
eyes sparkled as she fixed them on the far