Jane'll be better content to be earning her own living again,
though she's not been eating the bread of idleness, and I'm sure she
couldn't start again in a happier way to herself, so I'll tell her your
most kind offer; and may the Lord reward Sir Lionel and yourself for
it."

No man in the United Kingdom journeyed homeward that day in a happier
frame of mind than Thomas Bradly.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE.

FINALE, AT CRICKETTY HALL.

The letter and offer of Lady Morville poured a flood of sunshine into
Jane's heart, and helped to hasten her restoration to perfect health.
Most thankfully did she accept the situation offered her by her former
mistress, which restored her to an honourable position, and enabled her
to earn her own living in a way suited to her abilities, experience, and
strength. She wrote at once her earnest thanks, and her grateful
acceptance of the proposed post, and it was arranged that she should
leave her home for Monksworthy in the beginning of August. But Thomas
Bradly had set his heart on having a special temperance demonstration
before her departure; so it was put before Mr Maltby, and a grand
temperance tea-party and open-air meeting at Cricketty Hall was
announced for the second Saturday in July.

It soon got whispered about that something more than usual was to be
expected in the speeches after the tea; and as every one knew that
"Tommy Tracks" could get up a capital meeting, there was a good deal of
attention drawn to the subject among the operatives and people generally
in the town and neighbourhood. Bills of a large size had been duly
posted, and small handbills left at every house; and a prayer-meeting
had been held on the Wednesday evening previous, to seek a special
blessing on the coming gathering, so that its promoters looked hopefully
for a fine day, and were not disappointed.

Tea was to begin at 5 p.m., and the meeting as near half-past six as
could be accomplished. Crossbourne human nature, like the human nature
in most English manufacturing districts, had a great leaning to tea-
parties and _fetes_, the latter name being sometimes preferred by the
younger men as being more imposing. On the present occasion there was
an abundance of interested and willing helpers, so that early in the
Saturday afternoon the road to Cricketty Hall was all alive with comers
and goers, more or less busy with band and tongue; while carts of many
shapes and sizes were conveying the eatables an