wn again. But for
the state of tribulation she was in, she would have remained standing.

"Oh, sir, I have had a upset," she sobbed. "I see the white tail of a
pony a-going by, and I thought it might be some'at else. It did give me
a turn!"

"What did you think it might be?"

"I thought it might be the tail of a different sort of animal. I be
a-going a far journey, sir, and I thought it was, may be, the quadruple
come to fetch me. I'm a-going to New Jerusalem on a white donkey."

"So I hear," said Lionel, suppressing a smile, in spite of his heavy
heart. "Do you go all the way on the white donkey, Mrs. Peckaby?"

"Sir, that's a matter that's hid from me," answered Mrs. Peckaby. "The
gentleman that was sent back to me by Brother Jarrum, hadn't had
particulars revealed to him. There's difficulties in the way of a animal
on four legs which can't swim, doing it all, that I don't pretend to
explain away. I'm content, when the hour comes, sir, to start, and
trust. Peckaby, he's awful sinful, sir. Only last evening, when I was
saying the quadruple might have mirac'lous parts give to it, like
Balum's had in the Bible, Peckaby he jeered, and said he'd like to see
Balum's or any other quadruple, set off to swim to America--that he'd
find the bottom afore he found the land. I wonder the kitchen ceiling
don't drop down upon his head! For myself, sir, I'm rejoiced to trust,
as I says; and as soon as the white donkey do come, I shall mount him
without fear."

"What do you expect to find at New Jerusalem?" asked Lionel.

"I could sooner tell you, sir, what I don't expect; it 'ud take up less
time. There's a'most everything good at New Jerusalem that the world
contains--Verner's Pride's a poor place to it, sir--saving your presence
for saying so. I could have sat and listened to Brother Jarrum in this
here shop for ever, sir, if it hadn't been that the longing was upon me
to get there. In this part o' the world we women be poor, cast down,
half-famished, miserable slaves; but in New Jerusalem we are the wives
of saints, well cared for, and clothed and fed, happy as the day's long,
and our own parlours to ourselves, and nobody to interrupt us. Yes,
Peckaby, I'm a-telling his honour, Mr. Verner, what's a-waiting for me
at New Jerusalem! And the sooner I'm on my road to it, the better."

The conclusion was addressed to Peckaby himself. Peckaby had just come
in from the forge, grimed and dirty. He touched his hair to Lionel, an
am