ose fine figure the pale stranger's eyes were fixed, as his were fixed
upon her. His other hand held the rein of his horse, which was standing
saddled as if just led in.

At sight of Mrs. Hall they both turned, looking at her in a way neither
quite conscious nor unconscious, and without seeming to recollect that
words were necessary as a solution to the scene. In another moment Sally
entered also, when Mr. Darton dropped his companion's hand, led the horse
aside, and came to greet his betrothed and Mrs. Hall.

'Ah!' he said, smiling--with something like forced composure--'this is a
roundabout way of arriving, you will say, my dear Mrs. Hall. But we lost
our way, which made us late. I saw a light here, and led in my horse at
once--my friend Johns and my man have gone back to the little inn with
theirs, not to crowd you too much. No sooner had I entered than I saw
that this lady had taken temporary shelter here--and found I was
intruding.'

'She is my daughter-in-law,' said Mrs. Hall calmly. 'My son, too, is in
the house, but he has gone to bed unwell.'

Sally had stood staring wonderingly at the scene until this moment,
hardly recognizing Darton's shake of the hand. The spell that bound her
was broken by her perceiving the two little children seated on a heap of
hay. She suddenly went forward, spoke to them, and took one on her arm
and the other in her hand.

'And two children?' said Mr. Darton, showing thus that he had not been
there long enough as yet to understand the situation.

'My grandchildren,' said Mrs. Hall, with as much affected ease as before.

Philip Hall's wife, in spite of this interruption to her first
rencounter, seemed scarcely so much affected by it as to feel any one's
presence in addition to Mr. Darton's. However, arousing herself by a
quick reflection, she threw a sudden critical glance of her sad eyes upon
Mrs. Hall; and, apparently finding her satisfactory, advanced to her in a
meek initiative. Then Sally and the stranger spoke some friendly words
to each other, and Sally went on with the children into the house. Mrs.
Hall and Helena followed, and Mr. Darton followed these, looking at
Helena's dress and outline, and listening to her voice like a man in a
dream.

By the time the others reached the house Sally had already gone upstairs
with the tired children. She rapped against the wall for Rebekah to come
in and help to attend to them, Rebekah's house being a little 'spit-and-