ed her staring eyes, and dropped a curtsey.

'Whom have you here for mistress?' asked Lucilla.

'Please, ma'am, governess is runned away.'

'What do you mean?'

'Yes, ma'am,' replied the girl, developing powers of volubility such as
scholastic relations with her had left unsuspected. 'She ran away last
Saturday was a week, and there was nobody to open the school when we came
to it a Sunday morning; and we had holidays all last week, ma'am; and
mother was terrified {225} out of her life; and father, he said he
wouldn't have me never go for to do no such thing, and that he didn't
want no fine ladies, as was always spiting of me.'

'Every one will seem to spite you, if you keep no better hours,' said
Lucy, little edified by Martha's virtuous indignation.

The girl had scarcely entered the school before the clergyman stood on
the threshold, and was seized by both hands, with the words, 'Oh, Mr.
Prendergast, what is this?'

'You here, Cilla? What's the matter? What has brought you back?'

'Had you not heard? A sprain of Ratia's, and other things. Never mind.
What's all this?'

'Ah! I knew you would be sadly grieved!'

'So you did frighten her away!'

'I never meant it. I tried to act for the best. She was spoken to, by
myself and others, but nobody could make any impression, and we could
only give her notice to go at the harvest holidays. She took it with her
usual grand air--'

'Which is really misery and despair. Oh, why did I go? Go on!'

'I wrote to the mother, advising her, if possible, to come and be with
the girl till the holidays. That was on Thursday week, and the old woman
promised to come on the Monday--wrote a very proper letter, allowing for
the Methodistical phrases--but on the Saturday it was observed that the
house was not opened, and on Sunday morning I got a note--if you'll come
in I'll show it to you.'

He presently discovered it among multitudinous other papers on his
chimney-piece. Within a lady-like envelope was a thick satin-paper,
queen's-sized note, containing these words:

'REVEREND SIR,--It is with the deepest feelings of regret for the
unsatisfactory appearance of my late conduct that I venture to
address you, but time will enable me to account for all, and I can at
the present moment only entreat you to pardon any inconvenience I may
have occasioned by the precipitancy of my departure. Credit me,
reverend and dear sir, it was only the law of