ant help ourselves. How
would you like that? Don't you see one must stop somewhere?"

"Yes," said Matilda. "But what puzzles me is, where ought one to stop?
Mr. Richmond says we ought to use all our opportunities."

"If we can," said Norton.

"But, Norton, what we _can't_, is not an opportunity."

"That's a fact!" said Norton, laughing. "I didn't know you were so
sharp, Pink."

"I should like to ask Mr. Richmond more about it," said Matilda.

"Ask common sense!" said Norton. "Well, you don't want to go to Lilac
Lane to-day. Is there anywhere you do want to go?"

"No. Oh yes, Norton. I _should_ like to stop and see if Mr. Richmond
has got home, and to ask Miss Redwood a question. If you would just as
lieve."

"Where does Miss Redwood live?"

"Oh, she is Mr. Richmond's housekeeper."

"All right," said Norton. And then the gray ponies trotted merrily on,
crossed a pretty bridge over a stream, and turned their faces westward.
By and by the houses of the village began scatteringly to appear; then
the road grew into a well-built up street; the old cream-coloured
church with its deep porch hove in sight; and the ponies turned just
short of it and trotted up the lane to the parsonage door. Norton
jumped down and tied the horses, and helped Matilda out of the carriage.

"Are you going in?" she asked. But it appeared that Norton was going
in. So he pulled the iron knocker, and presently Miss Redwood came to
the door.

"Yes, he's home," she said, almost before they could ask her; "but he
ain't at home. I 'spect he'll take his meals now standin' or runnin'
for the next six weeks. That's the way he has to pay for rest, when he
gets it, which ain't often neither. It tires me, just to see him go;
I'll tell him you called."

"But mayn't we come in, Miss Redwood? just for a minute?"

"La, yes, child," said the housekeeper, making way for them; "come in,
both on ye. I didn't s'pose you was wantin' me; I've got out o' the way
of it since the minister's been away; my callers has fell off somehow.
It's odd, there don't one in twenty want to see me when I'm alone in
the house, and could have time in fact to speak to 'em. That's the way
things is in the world; there don't nothin' go together that's well
matched, 'cept folks' horses; and they 're out o' my line. Come in, and
tell me what you want to say. Where have ye come from?"

"I have been having a delightful ride, Miss Redwood, ever so far,
farther than ever I went befo