ich, be it observed, he did not succeed.

So much time was spent on thus creeping from stage to stage that Aurelia
had begun to feel as if the journey had been going on for ages, and as
if worlds divided her from her home, when on Sunday she timidly preceded
Mrs. Dove into Reading Abbey Church, and afterwards was shown where
rolled Father Thames. The travellers took early morning with them for
Maidenhead Thicket, and breakfasted on broiled trout at the King's Arms
at Maidenhead Bridge, while Aurelia felt her eye filled with the beauty
of the broad glassy river, and the wooded banks, and then rose onwards,
looking with loyal awe at majestic Windsor, where the flag was flying.
They slept at a poor little inn a Longford, rather than cross Hounslow
Heath in the evening, and there heard all the last achievements of the
thieves, so that Aurelia, in crossing the next day, looked to see a
masked highwayman start out of every bush; but they came safely to the
broad archway of the inn at Knightsbridge, their last stage. Mrs.
Dove took her charge up stairs at once to refresh her toilette, before
entering London and being presented to my Lady.

But a clattering and stamping were heard in the yard, and Aurelia,
looking from the window, called Mrs. Dove to see four horses being
harnessed to a coach that was standing there.

"Lawk-a-day?" cried the good woman, "if it be not our own old coach, as
was the best in poor Sir Jovian's time! Ay, there be our colours, you
see, blue and gold, and my Lady's quartering. Why, 'twas atop of that
very blue hammercloth that I first set eyes on my Dove! So my Lady has
sent to meet you, Missie. Well, I do take it kind of her. Now you will
not come in your riding hood, all frowsed and dusty, but can put on your
pretty striped sacque and blue hood that you wore on Sunday, and look
the sweet pretty lady you are."

Mrs. Dove's intentions were frustrated, for the maid of the inn knocked
at the door with a message that the coach had orders not to wait, but
that Miss was to come down immediately.

"Dear, dear!" sighed Mrs. DOve. "Tell the jackanapes not to be so
hasty. He must give the young lady time to change her dress, and eat a
mouthful."

This brought Dove up to the door. "Never mind dressing and fallals," he
said; "this is a strange fellow that says he is hired for the job, and
his orders are precise. Miss must take a bit of cake in her hand. Come,
dame, you have not lived so long in my Lady's se