d me tell you to be ready."

"When?"

"Well, some time along in the morning she will send the carriage to
bring you, she said."

"Has Francis come back?"

"Who's Francis?"

"I mean the coachman."

"I don't know nobody's names," said Miss Redwood; "'cept the men I took
care of; and I guess I had my own names for them. I couldn't pucker my
mouth to call them after Mrs. Laval."

"Why, what did you call them?" said Matilda. "I know what their names
were; they were Jules and Pierre Failly. What did you call them?"

"It didn't make no odds," said Miss Redwood, "so long as they knew I
was speaking to 'em; and _that_ they knew; 'cause when I raised one
man's head up, he knew I warn't speaking to the other man. I called one
of 'em Johnson, and 'tother Peter. It did just as well. I dare say
now," said Miss Redwood, with a bit of a smile on her face, "they
thought Johnson meant beef tea, and Peter meant a spoonful of medicine.
It did just as well. Come, dear; you may go get the coffee canister for
me; for now I'm in a hurry. There ain't coffee burned for breakfast."

It was Matilda's last breakfast at the parsonage. She could have been
sorry, only that she was so glad. After breakfast she had her bag to
pack; and a little later the grey ponies trotted round the sweep and
drew up at the door. Matilda had watched them turning in at the gate
and coming down the lane, stepping so gayly to the sound of their
bells; and they drew a dainty light sleigh covered with a wealth of
fine buffalo robes. The children bade good bye to Mr. Richmond, and
jumped in, and tucked the buffalo robes round them; the ponies shook
their heads and began to walk round the sweep again; then getting into
the straight line of the lane, away they went with a merry pace, making
the snow fly.

It seemed to Matilda that such a feeling of luxury had never come over
her as she felt then. The sleigh was so easy; the seats were so roomy;
the buffalo robes were so soft and warm and elegant, and she was so
happy. Norton pulled one of the robes up so as almost to cover her; no
cold could get at her, for her feet were in another. Furs over and
under her, she had nothing to do but to look and be whirled along over
the smooth snow to the tune of the sleigh bells. It was charming, to
look and see what the snow had done with the world. Thick, thick
mantles of it lay upon the house roofs; how could it all stay there?
The trees were loaded, bending their heads and dr