her excuses; but Mrs. Merrifield held that a card
thus left savoured of deceit, and that the deed must be womanfully
done in person. But she would not wait till the horses could be
spared, saying that for near village neighbours it was more friendly
to go down in her donkey-chair; and so she did, Bessie driving her,
and the Admiral walking with them.

The Gap had, ever since Bessie could remember, been absolutely
shrouded in trees, its encircling wall hidden in ivy bushes, over
which laburnums, lilacs, pink thorns, and horse chestnuts towered;
and the drive from the seldom-opened gate was almost obstructed by
the sweeping arms of laurels and larches.

It was obstructed now, but by these same limbs lying amputated; and
'chop, chop!' was heard in the distance.

'Oh, the Arbutus!' sighed Bessie.

'Clearing was much needed,' said her father, with a man's propensity
for the axe.

The donkey, however, thought it uncanny, 'upon the pivot of his
skull, turned round his long left ear,' and planted his feet firmly.
Mrs. Merrifield, deprecating the struggle by which her husband would
on such occasions enforce discipline, begged to get out; and while
this was going on, the ulstered young lady, with a small axe in
hand, came, as it were, to the rescue, and, while the donkey was
committed to a small boy, explained hastily, 'So overgrown, there is
nothing to be done but to let in light and air. My mother is at
home,' she added; 'she will be happy to see you,' and, conducting
them in with complete self-possession--rather, as it occurred to
Bessie, as the Queen might have led the way to the Duchess of Kent,
though there was a perfect simplicity and evident enjoyment about
her that was very prepossessing, and took off the edge of the sense
of conceit. Besides, the palace was, to London eyes at least, so
little to boast of, with the narrow little box of a wooden porch,
the odd, one-sided vestibule, and the tiny anteroom with the worn
carpet; but the drawing-room, in spite of George IV furniture, was
really pretty, with French windows opening on a well-mown lawn, and
fresh importations of knick-knacks, and vases of wild flowers, which
made it look inhabited and pleasant. There was no one there, and
the young lady proceeded to fetch her mother; and the unguarded
voice was caught by Bessie's quick ears from the window.

'Here are Admiral and Mrs. Merrifield, and one daughter. Come
along, little mammy! Worthy, homely old folks-