er eyes sparkling with impatience
caught her little one in her arms and kissed it very fast and hard. That
being the only sign of an impatient spirit which she showed, and, except
crying out, "Oh! I am glad to see you safe back, all of you. Do you
know, Lettice, I began to wonder what had become of you?"--not a
syllable approaching to reproof passed her lips.

"Dear Mrs. D'Arcy! Dear Catherine! I am afraid we are late. We went too
far--we partly lost ourselves. We got into a long, but oh! such a lovely
lane--where I never was before, and then, we have had a little wee bit
of an adventure."

"Adventure! Oh goodness! I _am_ glad of that. Adventures are so
excessively rare in this country. I never met with one in my life, but
happening upon Edgar, as the people say, when he was coming from
hunting; and the wind had blown off my hat. A wind that blew somebody
good, that ... dear, beloved, Lettice, I wish to goodness, that I do--an
adventure of the like of that, might have happened to you."

Lettice colored a little.

"Gracious!" cried Catherine, laughing merrily, and peeping at her under
her bonnet--"I declare--you're blushing Lettice. Your adventure is
something akin to my adventure. Have you stumbled upon an unparalleled
youth--by mere accident as I did? and did he--did he pick up your hat?"

"If he had," said Lettice, "I am afraid my face with my hair all blown
about it would not have looked quite so enchanting as yours must have
done. No, I did not lose my bonnet."

"Any thing else? Your heart, perhaps?"

"Dear Catherine! How can you be so silly."

"Oh! it was such a blessed day when I lost mine," said Mrs. D'Arcy,
gayly. "Such a gain of a loss! that I wish just the same misfortune to
befall every one I love--and I love you dearly, Lettice."

"There must be more than one heart lost I fancy, to make adventures turn
out as well as yours did, Catherine."

"Oh! that's a matter of course in such sort of things. There is always
an exchange, where there is love at first sight. But now do tell me,
that's a dear girl, what your adventure was."

"I only saw a clergyman reading to a poor woman--or rather I only saw a
clergyman, a Bible, and a poor woman, and thence concluded that he _had_
been reading to her."

"Oh! you tiresome creature. Poor, dear, old Mr. Hughes, I'll be bound.
Good old fellow--but such a hum-drum. Nay, Lettice, my dear, don't look
shocked and cross. A clergyman may be a very stupid, hum-drum, tir