ny
her, waited outside. Jacob, strange to say, had declined accompanying
his mother and May. He had work to attend to on board the _Nancy_, and
had no fancy for jigging about with the girls of the village, while May
did not intend to join in the revels. Jacob, indeed, felt that he
should be out of place. He knew that it would not do to be seen
standing near his mother and May all the time, and he should take no
pleasure in wandering about away from them.

May was perhaps relieved when she heard that Jacob was not coming.
Although she regarded him with esteem for his honesty and bravery, and
his devotion to her, she felt instinctively that the less he was in her
society, the better for him.

"You will come home early," said Miss Jane, as she wished her good-bye;
"and you will keep to your resolution in not mixing with the throng more
than you can help."

"You must tell me all that takes place when you come back," said Miss
Mary. "If you see Miss Castleton and her brothers, and you will
scarcely fail to do so, I shall like to hear all about them. Julia must
have grown into a tall young lady, and Harry and Algernon into
full-grown men. I shall be interested in hearing what Harry is like
especially; he was a great favourite of mine when a boy. He has now
become a fine gallant officer. I wish I could let him know how much I
should like to see him; for although Sir Ralph and Lady Castleton have
been so inattentive, we should not, therefore, feel the less regard for
their son, and I am sure he would not hesitate to come, if he remembered
that we are here."

This was said in the presence of the dame.

"If I have a chance of speaking to Mr Harry, I will tell him," she
said. "I will remind him how he saved our Maiden May from the bull, and
maybe he will remember Adam and me, and come up and speak to us, as he
won't have forgotten his trip in the _Nancy_, though he is not likely to
wish to take another."

"Tell him, then, that we hope to see him," said Miss Mary.

The dame promised to deliver the message.

When the dame and her companions arrived at Texford, she remarked that
the appearance of the place was totally changed. There stood the house,
certainly, as usual, but the park looked like a huge fair. There were
numerous booths and tents in all directions, and swings and roundabouts,
targets for archery, courses marked off for running races, arrangements
for the old game of quintain, for Sir Ralph was some