though he did not wish to distress
her, and she was thankful for it.

"It is very pretty, isn't it? The post-office is just opposite the
church, and when we leave there we can drive straight on until we come
to Bessmoor. You would like that, wouldn't you? You love the moor."

"Yes," he responded quickly; "I love it. Let us do that, by all means.
The clouds have nearly all blown away, and it ought to be lovely
to-day."

She pulled up at the cottage which served as post-office and general
emporium of the village, and was in the act of handing the telegram to
the groom when Francis stopped her.

"Why not take it yourself?" he said; "it will prevent any more muddle.
There is no hurry I shall be quite happy sitting here."

She looked at him in surprise, for he had never shown himself so
practical as to-day, but there seemed no reason why she should not
leave him, so with a word of assent she got down and entered the door.

The front room of the low building served as the shop, and displayed a
varied assortment of wares in most haphazard fashion. Along the
rafters sides of bacon and farthing dips hung in close proximity to
stout corduroys and wooden clogs, while in the corner a child's wicker
cradle formed an excellent receptacle for the last batch of crisp brown
loaves. The narrow counter was piled high with biscuit-tins, bottles
of sweets, patent medicines and articles of clothing, arranged in a
sort of orderly confusion.

There was no one to be seen, and Philippa rapped sharply on the wooden
counter two or three times. At last an old woman appeared, a
cherry-cheeked old dame with her white hair drawn neatly into the
modest shelter of a black chenille net. The girl explained her errand,
and was at once invited to step "into the back."

Making her way through a lane of sacks she reached the inner room,
where all the business connected with His Majesty's mails was
transacted.

"'Tis my daughter, miss, as sees to the post an' telegraph, but she's
been druv to go to bed--wonderful queer she were--took bad about noon;
but I make no doubt but what she'll be better by and by. Was it a
telegram you wished to send? Then I'll call her. If it had been jus'
a matter of a few stamps now, I could have settled that nicely, or one
of them orders; but that there ticking machine, that's past me. But
Maggie, she's wonderful quick at it. Stayed about as long as she could
too, with terrible pains in her----"

Philippa