ll
aired and in nice order. And I said to her secretly that if granny and I
were not happy in Chichester Square--that was the name of the gloomy,
rather old-fashioned square, filled with handsome gloomy houses, where
Mr. Vandeleur lived--it was nice to feel that we had only to drive to
the station and get into the train and be 'home' again in four or five
hours.

Kezia smiled, though I think in her heart she was much more inclined to
cry, and said she hoped to hear of our being very happy indeed in
London, though of course she would look forward to seeing us again.

I shall never forget the day we left our dear little cottage. It had
begun to be wintry, a sprinkling of snow was on the ground and the air
was quite frosty, though the morning was bright. I did feel so
strange--sorrowful yet excited, and as if I really did not know who I
was. And though the tears were running down poor Kezia's face when she
bade us good-bye at the window of the railway carriage, I could not have
cried if I had wished. We had a three miles' drive to the station. It
was only the third or fourth time in my life I had ever been there, and
I had never travelled for longer than half an hour or so, when granny
had taken me, and once or twice Sharley and the others, to one of the
neighbouring towns famed for their beautiful cathedrals.

We travelled second class. I thought it very comfortable, and it was
very nice to have foot-warmers, which I had never seen before. My
spirits rose steadily and even grandmamma's face had a pinky colour,
which made her look quite young.

'I should like to travel like this for a week without stopping,' I said.

Granny smiled.

'I don't think you would,' she said. 'You will feel you have had quite
enough of it by the time we get to London.'

And after an hour or two, especially when the short winter afternoon
grew misty and dull, so that I could scarcely distinguish the landscape
as we flew past, I began to agree with her.

'It will be quite dark when we get to Chichester Square,' said
grandmamma. 'You must wait for your first real sight of London till
to-morrow. I hope the weather will not be foggy.'

'Will there be flys at the station?' I asked, 'or did you write to order
one?'

Grandmamma smiled.

'No, dear, that would not be necessary. There are always lots of
four-wheelers and hansoms. But Mr. Vandeleur is sending a footman to
meet us and he will find us a cab.'

'Hasn't he got a carriage then?' s