he garden with
Mr. Porter, and then sat in the drawing-room, and felt
melancholy. He roused himself, however, when the ladies came down
and luncheon was announced. Mary was full of her reminiscences of
the Englebourn people, and especially of poor Mrs. Winburn and
her son, in whom she had begun to take a deep interest, perhaps
from overhearing some of Tom's talk to her mother. So Harry's
story was canvassed again, and Katie told them how he had been
turned out of his cottage, and how anxious she was as to what
would come of it.

"And is he going to marry your gardener's daughter after all?"
asked Mrs. Porter.

"I am afraid there is not much chance of it," said Katie; "I
cannot make Martha out."

"Is she at home, Katie?" asked Mary; "I should like to see her
again. I took a great fancy to her when I was here."

"Yes, she is at the lodge. We will walk there after luncheon."

So it was settled that the carriage should pick them up at the
lodge; and soon after luncheon, while the horses were being put
to, the whole party started for the lodge, after saying good-bye
to Mr. Winter, who retired to his room much fatigued by his
unwonted hospitality.

Old Simon's wife answered their knock at the lodge door, and they
all entered, and Mrs. Porter paid her compliments on the
cleanliness of the room.

Then Mary said, "Is your daughter at home, Mrs. Gibbons?"

"Ees, miss, someweres handy," replied Mrs. Gibbons; "her hav'n't
been gone out, not dree minnit."

"I should like so much to say good-bye to her," said Mary. "We
shall be leaving Barton soon, and I shall not see her again till
next summer."

"Lor bless'ee, miss, 'tis werry good ov'ee," said the old dame,
very proud; "do'ee set down then while I gees her a call." And
with that she hurried out of the door which led through the back
kitchen into the little yard behind the lodge, and the next
moment they heard her calling out--

"Patty, Patty, wher bist got to? Come in and see the gentlefolk."

The name which the old woman was calling out made Tom start.

"I thought you said her name was Martha," said Mrs. Porter.

"Patty is short for Martha in Berkshire," said Katie, laughing.

"And Patty is such a pretty name. I wonder you don't call her
Patty," said Mary.

"We had a housemaid of the same name a year or two ago, and it
made such a confusion--and when one once gets used to a name it
is so hard to change--so she has always been called Martha."

"Well, I'm a