at the school, when there came a tap
to the drawing-room window, and looking up she saw Tirzah Todd's brown
face and her finger making signs to her. She felt displeased, and rose
up, saying, "Why, Tirzah, if you want me, you had better come to the
back door!"

"Lady, you must come out this way. 'Tis Jack Swing a-coming, ma'am--
yes, he is--with a whole lot of mischievous folks, to break the machine
and burn the ricks, and what not. Hush, don't ye hear 'em a hollering
atop of the hill? They be gathering at the `Fox and Hounds,' and I just
couldn't abear that you and the dear little children should be scared
like, and the captain away. So," as Mrs Carbonel's lips moved in
thanks and alarm, "if you would come with me, lady, and take the
children, and come out this way, through the garden, where you wouldn't
meet none of 'em, I'll take you down the short way to Farmer Pearson's,
or wherever you liked, where you wouldn't hear nothing till 'tis over."

"Oh, Tirzah! You are very good. A fright would be a most fearful
shock, and might be quite fatal to my little Mary. But oh, my sister
and the servants and the Pucklechurches, I can't leave them."

"My Hoggie was at home with the baby, and I sent her off to see Miss
Sophy at the school, and tell her to come up to Pearson's."

"But the Pucklechurches?"

"Nobody will hurt them! Nobody means to hurt you," said Tirzah, "I
knows that! My man wouldn't ha' gone with them, but so as they promised
faithful not to lay a finger on you, so you give 'em the money and the
guns; but men don't think of the dear little gal as is so nesh, so I
thought I'd warn you to have her out of the way. Bless my heart,
they'll be coming. That was nigher."

Mrs Carbonel's mind went through many thoughts in those few moments.
She could not bear to desert her husband's property and people in this
stress, and yet she knew that to expose her tender little girl to the
terrors of a violent mob would be fatal. And she decided on accepting
Tirzah's offer of safety and shelter. She ran upstairs, put on her
bonnet, took her husband's most essential papers out of his desk and
pocketed them, together with some sovereigns and bank-notes, then
quietly went into the nursery, where she desired Rachel Mole to put on
her bonnet, take up the baby, and follow her, and herself was putting on
little Mary's small straw hat and cape, telling her that she was coming
with mamma for a walk to see Mrs Pearson's old t