s in a new
world this afternoon, and the angels in heaven are rejoicing over her,
and I'm sure every man in Hatton will rejoice with her husband; he's hed
a middling bad time with her lately or I'm varry much mistaken."

Then these men and women, who had been privately unstinting in their
blame of Missis and her selfish way, held their peace. She had been with
God. About that communion they did not dare to comment.

As it neared five o'clock, Jane's maid came into the kitchen with
another note of surprise. "Missis hes dressed hersen in white from head
to foot," she cried. "She told me to put away her black things out of
sight. I doan't know what to think of such ways. It isn't half a year
yet since the child died."

"I'd think no wrong if I was thee, Lydia Swale. Thou hesn't any warrant
for thinking wrong but what thou gives thysen, and thou be neither judge
nor jury," said an old woman, making Devonshire cream.

"In white from top to toe," Lydia continued, "even her belt was of white
satin ribbon, and she put a white rose in her hair, too. It caps me.
It's a queer dooment."

"Brush the black frocks over thy arm and then go and smarten thysen up a
bit. It will be dinner-time before thou hes thy work done."

"Happen it may. I'm not caring and Missis isn't caring, either. She'll
never wear these frocks again--she might as well give them to me."

In the meantime Jane was looking at herself in the long cheval mirror.
The rapture in her heart was still reflected on her face, and the white
clothing transfigured her. "John must see that the great miracle of
life has happened to me, that I have really been born again. Oh, how
happy he will be!"

With this radiant thought she stepped lightly down to the long avenue by
which John always came home. About midway, there was a seat under a
large oak-tree and she saw John sitting on it. He was reading a letter
when Jane appeared, but when he understood that it really was Jane, he
was lost in amazement and the letter fell to the ground.

"John! John!" she cried in a soft, triumphant voice. "O John, do you
know what has happened to me?"

"A miracle, my darling! But how?" And he drew her to his side and kissed
her. "You are like yourself--you are as lovely as you were in the hour I
first saw you."

"John, I went to the oak-wood early this morning. I carried with me all
my sins and troubles, and as I thought of them my heart was nearly
broken and I wept till I could weep no l