the door.

"I'll be back again directly," she whispered. "I want to speak to
Esau."

She was back directly, and Mrs John held out her hand to her.

"Thank you, thank you so very much," she whispered. "I am so sorry to
have given you all this trouble."

Mrs Dean laughed.

"Trouble!" she said, merrily; "as if it was trouble for one woman to
help another. I mean a lady," she said, colouring.

There was silence for a few moments, and then Mrs John said--

"I thought I must come down to see Mayne. Has he told you of his wish
to go with us to the West?"

"Told me?" cried Mrs Dean, excitedly. "Ah, now you are talking about
trouble indeed."

"We came down to tell him that it is impossible--foolish of him to think
of such a thing."

"Oh, thank you kindly, ma'am," cried Mrs Dean; "and me thinking all
kinds of evil of you, and that you had been persuading him to go."

"No, no, my good woman, no," said Mr John.

"And thank you too, sir. And I hope Mr Gordon will take it to heart,
for if he had gone my Esau would have been sure to go too, and I should
have seemed to be quite alone in the world."

"Yes, it would be hard for you," said Mrs John, looking at her
searchingly. "Mayne, my dear, you will not try and influence her son?"

I shook my head.

"Oh, but he don't, ma'am, never," said Mrs Dean, eagerly; "he crosses
him; but my Esau always sets Mr Gordon here up for a hidle, and thinks
whatever he does must be right."

"Why, Mayne," said Mr John, smiling, "I did not know you were such a
model boy."

"Oh, but he is, sir," cried Mrs Dean; "and my Esau is ever so much
better since--"

"I'm going for a walk," I said, with my face scarlet.

But just then there was a tap at the door, to which Mrs Dean responded,
and came back directly with a little tray, on which was her favourite
black teapot and its companions.

"I'm afraid, ma'am, it isn't such tea as you're used to, but I thought a
cup--and my boy Esau got it ready."

Mrs John gave her a grateful look, and soon after, very much refreshed,
she quite sat up, Mrs Dean helping her to a chair.

"But oh, my dear," she said, "you're so weak and thin; you're not fit to
take a long voyage and a journey such as Mr Gordon talked about."

"If I stay in England I shall die," said Mrs John, sadly.

"Oh, don't say that, my--ma'am. But are you going alone?"

"No; with my husband."

"And soon?"

"The vessel sails in a fortnight."

"A fortnight? There, Mr G